Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeon Rising
by HoundTheRed
Summary: The year is U.C. O111 and following an egregious display of the Earth Federation's pure disregard for the lives of those living in space, the lost ideals of Zeon take their first breath in nearly 11 years. Having witnessed the event, Amaury, a young man living in the streets of a Space Colony, joins The Movement with the hope that he can help keep this from ever happening again.
1. Chapter 1: Flames of Tragedy

Space. The promises of space held such high hopes for the human race. A once thought, never ending expanse that would continue on forever unexplored quickly shrank with the advent of modern technology. The far, unexplored regions of space blacked out across all maps suddenly became encased in light, shining bright for all forms of adventurers and entrepreneurs alike to stake a claim in. In 1999 A.D., the looming shadow of the 3rd World War brought into existence the Earth Federation. With its sudo-knightley portrayal of world peace, the Federation received absolute power over the earth's territories and divided them into 11 districts, maintaining a tight, militaristic grip to prevent the outbreak of what would be the anticipated 4th world war. At this time, a hopeful few idealistic leaders of the Federation announced plans to begin 'Space Colonization' within the next 20 years, should the war never come.

The war never did come, and in 2005 A.D., work on the first two space colonies begins. Countless hours of manpower consumed, and trillions of dollars in resources were diverted into space. 40 years of constant, hard labor yielded the Federation's first two Colonies at Side 1, the first grouping of colonies. In 2045, with a population of over 9 Billion, the Earth began to exile citizens of the most congested areas en masse, creating the first instance of the human race living in space. To signify such a magnificent mark on the timeline of humanity's' existence, the Federation began to address this new, golden era as the Universal Century.

To be the head of the colonies, Laplace Station, a massive colony within Earth's orbit intended to be the residence of Earth's Prime Minister, Ricardo Marcenas, is constructed during the same time period. Celebrating the transition into Universal Century, Prime Minister Marcenas holds a ceremony in which he began to unveil the 'New Constitution' of the U.C., including the right of the colonies to govern themselves, free of the Earth Federation. Unfortunately, a horrific terrorist attack occurred, blasting a massive hole into the space station's residential section, killing all inhabitants of the station, including the Prime Minister, forever losing his message of Colonial independence. In response to the Laplace incident, the Federation forced all Colonies to exist under their control, and became subservient to the Earth; to live under them, both on an economic and social scale, and those living in the colonies began to be known as 'Spacenoids'. Derogatory in nature, this label did nothing but drive another wedge into the terrestrial divide, and the colonies themselves became nothing more than dumping grounds; places where the federation would forcefully deport unwanted inhabitants of earth, without say of the civilians, or the colonies.

The colonies remained in disarray and a cycle of poor leadership who were unwilling to speak out against the Federation until U.C. 0046, with the rise of Zeon Zum Deikun.

Zeon Zum Deikun. To mention his name aboard the colonies today would be almost illegal, and possibly result in arrest if in the presence of anyone loyal enough to the Federation. To many still, he was the man who changed everything. A man who, amongst great depression, brought relief, and amongst scattered disarray and mistrust, brought guidance. With his deep, heartfelt messages about humanities destiny in the stars, he filled the hearts and minds of all he preached to with hope. Hope that one day all of the suffering would end. In U.C. 0058, Side 3, led by Deikun, declares its independence from the Federation and the Republic of Zeon is born. A year later in response the Federation places strict sanctions on the new republic, in hopes of choking out the fledgling country by disrupting the supply of vital materials such as food, water and natural resources. With fears rising of possible Federation military action against Zeon and upon observing increased Federal troop build-up, Zeon forms an organized standing military to better defend itself against any attempt to dismantle its sovereignty. Nine years later on Earth, a motion was brought forward to the Federation's government to allow colonial autonomy, and was immediately denounced, the intentions of the Earth Federation to rule over the colonies once again made clear, tensions rise between the two powers at an alarming rate.

In October of 0068, tragedy strikes the colonies with the death of their hero and leader, Zeon Zum Deikun. In the wake of his death, Deikun's political rival, Degwin Sodo Zabi, declares that he would lead Zeon in prosperity and begins a massive arms race amongst the colonies to quadruple the Zeon army. Filled with pride and the desire to protect the now renamed Principality of Zeon, millions of young men and women flood recruiting offices. Following in the Principality's footsteps, other Sides and colonies begin to revolt from Federation control, and soon Zeon was not alone, growing from a small uprising, to a large scale insurrection.

On the third of January, 0079, The One Year War begins. Launching a surprise attack, Zeon strikes at the remaining Colony Sides of Side 1, Side 2 and Side 4. Less than a month later, with the colonies that were not destroyed in the opening stages of the conflict secured, Zeon turned its attention to Earth, and begins to invade, catching the Federation off guard with their massive deployment of a new weapon of war; the Mobile Suit. Slaughtering federation naval craft and vessels, these weapons allow the ground invasions to proceed almost uncontested, dropping from the sky all across Federal Earth. Now, with unhindered resource gathering across massive sections of Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and the Middle East, Zeon begins to outfit its military, developing more advanced mobile suits and weaponry, continuing to crush the Federation, whose own military struggled to advance past traditional tanks and first generation mobile suit technology. However, this advantage is not maintained, and by January of the following year, The One Year War ends with the withdrawal of all Zeon forces from Earth, back to the reformed Republic of Zeon in space. Uneasy peace falls across Humanity as both sides begin to heal and recover from the devastating loss of almost half of the human population.

In the twenty years that followed the war, small scale conflicts of revolt continued to appear against the Federation whose troops continued to oppress the citizens of the colonies, crushing those who stood against them. Chemical attacks, colony drops, secret nuclear weapons; hundreds of thousands more die under Federal rule, even after the war had ended. Even legendary war hero Char Aznable, who had seized control of the Republic of Zeon in the 80's, launched multiple attempts over the two decades to return the power to its former high. However, he is eventually killed in action, marking the end of the Republic of Zeon, as in the early months of U.C. 0100, the Republic of Zeon surrenders unconditionally to the Federation, giving up its autonomy and dissolving quietly into the night. Believing that after nearly 50 years they had finally secured their colonies once again, the Federation declares that all hostilities have ceased, and that there could finally be peace amongst the human population.

For the next 11 years, the Federation continued to place sanctions and strict, imposing legislation onto the colonies, as if to punish them for trying to gain their freedom. Any sort of rambling of rebellion, any peaceful protest of Federal rule, any tag a graffiti that even as much as denounced the 'good name' of Earth was dealt with harshly; the jail time, excessive. Many times demonstrations result in bloodshed as Federation police forces began to lose patience, and in U.C. 0111, in the Side 3, Close-Type Colony of Dresden, tensions came to a boiling point. A two week protest by civilians of Dresden over the economic sanctions, combined with forced over population that had plagued the colony began to escalate into violence. Food shortages and economic decline ran rampant, and the citizens were going to make their opposition clear. As Federation Police forces pressured the protestors to disperse, they became violent in their methods, and the protestors responded. From the rooftop of a nearby building someone threw an improvised explosive device onto a Police Mobile Suit, destroying the head sensor unit and causing it to collapse to its knees.

Seeing the outbreak of the violence, acting commander of the Federation Garrison Police Force, Colonel William Arndt, declared this an act of terrorism and gave the order to open fire into the crowd, ironically in order to stop the escalation of the violence. Heeding his orders, with the police force's disregard for the colonists, they opened fire into the crowd with not only small arms fire, but with their RGM-89D Jegan Mobile Suits. Witnessing the massacre playing out, an ex-Zeon pilot named James Roodman, now working for the Federation, became overwhelmed with the agony of the colonists and responded. Using his own 89D, he laid into the Federation forces, devastating 8 city blocks and destroying 5 hostile Jegan's before his own unit faulted and collapsed to its knees in the street. His mobile suit disabled, the entire colony watched as another Jegan pressed his beam saber to the cockpit and executed the hero, his last words broadcasting throughout the colony and witnessed by millions across the Earth Sphere tuning into the media outlets; "Sieg Zeon!"

Amidst the two months that followed what would be known as the Dresden Massacre, movements were made in the underground of Side 3 to respond to this event. Some of the population had seen enough, and were ready to act. Unknown to the Federation something was coming, and this time it was not a Neo-Zeon attempt to reclaim their throne. This was more than Char, more than any war that had been fought before. This was all or nothing, for the future of the Spacenoids and all of humanity.

"Next." A voice demanded down a damp, dark hallway lined with sitting people, the voice echoing for almost an eternity in the mostly vacant building. With hesitation a figure stood and proceeded into the doorframe nearest to them where only a fading glimmer of light peaked through, the others turning their heads and watched as the figure, now revealed in that light to be a male in his late twenties entered, almost afraid to stare into the light too long, and the others in the hallway all looked away, possibly for the same reason. An armed guard in the hallway stared at those still sitting in the hallway, smoking his cigarette calmly but with a continuing impression of stern control over those in his presence, making sure his submachine gun was comfortably visible, yet tucked securely into his torso for control, just in case anything had not gone as planned. His eye focused on figure specifically, a boy probably no more than twenty two or so who unlike the others did not cover his head or his face with a hood or hat, a brazen choice seeing the grave nature of the reason behind the whole occurrence. He smirked, unsure if the boy was stupid or brave, while at the same time, the boy's own eyes looked to him, then focused down to the gun in his hands. To him, this was all very sketchy. Sure, this was something that had to be done in complete silence, without even the smallest hint making its way to the authorities. But everyone here came here of their own free will, was the armed guard and absolute silence necessary? Maybe it was to prevent any kind of Federal infiltration or intervention. Regardless, it created quite an unfriendly atmosphere. When he was told to come here to speak with the movement leaders, he never assumed it would be like this. An abandoned water treatment plant on the south side of the colony near the docks was not what he imagined would be the assembly point for those interested in this kind of work. If one could call it work, as to most that had come here this was about their home and the future of their people.

"Next." The voice called again as another stood and entered the room, and next would be the boy. His heartbeat unintentionally began to race, nervous about what would come on the other side of that door. What if they didn't accept him into this? Would he go back to fending for himself on the street? Stealing to eat, robbing the better off to pay for essentials. No, he couldn't go back. But more than just a desire not to, there wasn't an option to go back. He knew roughly what was going on here, and they wouldn't just allow him to leave. Not alive, anyway. If they didn't accept him, it was over. When the doors opened the boy swallowed what little saliva had built up in his dry mouth and stood, even before they called for him. "Next." Reverberated through the hallway, and immediately the boy was at the door, causing the man at the door, who had been looking down at a clipboard, to jump in the air slightly. "Fuck," he cursed, holding his chest as he inhaled a deep breath. "Don't do that. Let's go." He replied, pointing in the boy's face before leading the boy down the hallway as the door closed and locked behind them. That single hallway quickly lead to a flight of stairs, then another hallway, and then another hallway until finally they came to a final door. Was this where this meeting was to take place? It seemed like an eternity since they first left the first hallway, as if time was running at half speed. The silence that filled the lower corridors of this facility was sobering, sending chills down the boy's spine, and as the gears in the door rotated and unlatched, they only got worse. Almost blinded by the light emerging from the well-lit room, Amaury covered his eyes until they adjusted to find a U-shaped desk with several men and women, some wearing uniforms, others suits or lab coats, staring at him. "Amaury Dietrich?" A voice originating from the head of the table asked as Amaury was pushed into the room and the door behind him locked. A tall, stalky gentlemen obviously well into his late sixties or so, and likely the one in charge based on the uniform that he wore. It was unmistakable; a Zeon Naval uniform, the rank of which Amaury was unsure, but he knew from pictures he had seen from the War that it was of higher class. Nervously, Amaury swallowed and nodded, placing his hands behind his back as he carefully looked around, all eyes on him. These people were intimidating, their presence almost crushing in nature, as if they had their hands around his neck, strangling the breath and words from him.

"Your father was a soldier during the One Year War, correct?" One of the interviewers asked, looking at the boy's file as he nodded. "Y-yes sir." Amaury replied, afraid to say little more than what was required to answer the question directly. "For Zeon, correct?" The next question rang out from an elderly woman who did not appear to have even the slightest ability to smile, but before he could even answer, another question was asked, this one from an unknown proctor. "What was his MOS?" The boy looked around and swallowed nervously, thrown off by the question at hand. If he had been a Federation pilot, why would he be here, after all. "Y-yes, Zeon. H-he was with the 107th Terrestrial Assault Force, one of those who landed in North America. He was a Zaku pilot. My mother as well, though she served her time in space." He stuttered, recalling what his mother had told him, just as another spoke up.

"Where is your father now?" Amaury looked at the speaker for just a second before looking down at the floor, then back to the speaker. "He was... killed shortly after the Gryps Conflict during the first Neo-Zeon uprising. Before I was born." His response was short, almost lacking in emotion, as if he had told the story before and had memorized it. It really did not bring him much pain to speak of it, having not known his father, being more like information than anything else, though at their next question he winced. "And your mother?" The voice questioned as Amaury's eyes narrowed briefly before shifting to the floor. "She's gone." He replied as the group immediately fell silent for a second or two before severals amongst the board looked at one another and beginning to whisper amongst themselves. They were quiet, but he could still make out what they were saying, and one word stuck out amongst the rest; Newtype.

He had heard this term before, being used to describe the supposed next evolutionary step in human evolution connected to those born and raised in space. It was a theory once, but at this point in time the world was well aware of the Newtypes, even if that term was being forced into the darkness. But, if they were questioning his status as a Newtype, they wouldn't find much. He didn't feel any different from anyone else, he simply felt normal. Or, what one would feel is normal. Normal for an orphan boy left to fend for himself in the colonies, living on the street.

"Why are you here?" A questioner next to the center man asked sharply, a stern tone in his voice. Amaury stared at first, and then looked down. Why was he here? Surely that had to be a trick question. There had to be a right answer and a wrong answer that they were looking for. Nothing had really been told to them about what exactly 'this' was, so they must have been trying to pull from him what _he_ thought this was. "To fight for our people." He replied, his hands shaking a little as he felt uncertain if _that_ was the right answer. "To fight for an end to all of our suffering, to stop what happened two months ago from ever happening again." He added, looking back up at the head interviewer and staring into his eyes with a sort of dedication, as if to show his words were true. The room grew quiet again as the interviewers all looked at each other, and they remained silent. A feeling of dread washed over the young boy, knowing now that something was wrong. Did they presume him now to be a spy, trying to confirm a conspiracy so that the Federation could act upon it? A twisting, pitted feeling developed in his stomach, and he felt as if he would throw up, until suddenly, from an unobserved corner of the room, came a voice. Amaury though he had felt someone there, in a way he couldn't explain, but was too afraid to divert his attention from the oppressive nature of the interview team in the center of the room, and even now was hesitant to look.

"Oh come on, clearly he is here for the same reason we all are. Just like he said, to save us all from the Federation, before they decide to 'pacify' us all too." The voice stated as some of the interviewers began to look at the tall committee head sitting in the middle of the U, who sighed and stared down the man. "Edward, you know you were not allowed to speak at these meetings." The center head scolded calmly as the figure in the shadows of the room came forward. "Well I'm sorry Admiral, but you are all missing something. I mean come on now, the son of a pilot who survived the war and moved on to fight for Neo-Zeon in the first uprising? What more do you need. Clearly he is born to be a pilot, and what we need right now is pilots. It's not a choice, it's a necessity, and this one will do well; I can feel it." The man stated as he walked forward towards Amaury until he stood directly next to him, looking at the boy and then back to the panel with a wide smirk. "He is obviously dedicated to his belief, or else he wouldn't risk to coming here to meet with us in this run down water plant. Especially with the persecution we all face just for talking about this sort of thing."

As the man spoke he reached out slowly and placed his hand on Amaury's right shoulder, standing just a little taller than him. He, unlike the rest of the others in the room, did not wear a uniform, just simply plain street clothes common of the colonies. On top of his physical appearance, Amaury also noted that he also spoke with an accent, though he was unsure of the origin. But from the way he was speaking, he assumed this man was a pilot. A brief staring match followed between the Admiral and this Edward, before the Admiral sighed. "Fine, take him. Start him on the training immediately, but if this fails, it's on your head." He stated as a door to the side opened, and Amaury's face lit up. They were going to accept him after all? It couldn't be this easy, could it? Maybe he was making it more complicated in his head than it really needed it to be. "Welcome aboard, kid. We will be depending on you." The admiral says sternly and waves Amaury to the side to exit through the open door.

"Thank you Admiral." Amaury said with an obviously excited and stunned tone, his voice nearly cracking as he struck a salute, just as he had seen in videos of Zeon soldiers in the past, and proceeded to calmly but hastily leave the room. Following behind Edward, who was blatantly grinning at the Admiral for his own little personal victory, Amaury waited for the door to be shut and locked before immediately speaking up. "Thanks for your help back there Edward." He said quietly, still fired up from the whole experience as he looked around the hallway, which seemed to be leading even deeper into the abandoned plant. This place had to run deep underground and into the inner workings of the colony substructure, but how far exactly did they have to go? Edward looked over his shoulder and smirked. "Eh, don't mention it. And its Monty, don't call me Edward. I despise that name." He said with a chuckle as Amaury acknowledge his request and nodded a single time.

"Alright, Monty. Gotcha." He replied, and with only a brief moment later, asked what was really on his mind. "So, where do I start?" Confused and in the dark about where they would go from here, this was completely uncharted land he was now in, and it made him feel uneasy to say the least. "First let's get you a uniform. You can't represent the new regime wearing those tattered gym clothes." Monty smirked and laughed lightly, looking back to the boy with a grin to show the intention of a joke. "Then, you're going right to the simulator. We need to see what your father left you beside your name, and there is no better place to start." Amaury blinked and stopped for a brief second before following Monty once more. So he would be a pilot? That was more than he could have asked for. Though, he didn't really know what to ask for to begin with, but this was perfect. All he had to do now was not blow his shot at making something of himself.


	2. Chapter 2: The Pods

Three weeks passed since his acceptance into the Movement, now officially known to them as Zeon Reformation Movement, and what once was a life of everyday struggle to survive on the streets of the colony now found itself replaced with a sense of meaning and purpose for Amaury. No longer would he have to resort to petty crime to eat and sleep and remain bathed and clothed, for now he had a home. It was run down, dark and cold, but it was no different than any other abandoned building he had slept in for the last six years or so. And here he had others who were like him, and not because of social status. They came from all walks of life; beggars and criminals, to those that, dare they not admit to it, appeared to be from wealthier families. None of that mattered anymore. They were all there for the same purpose, and because of that purpose their lives became tied together.

But for now, they needed to train. Train. Train. Train. Every morning from sun up, to sun down. Each aspect of the Movement had their own tasks to complete, from support staff to the expected direct combatants. Amaury and the others pilots-in-training basically began to live in the simulator pods; fastened together from old, scrapped mobile suits, barely resembling anything more than metal pods with seats and controls, but each uploaded with salvaged training software from before the One Year War, capable of going through every key component of operating a Mobile Suit. Pre-operation checks, fire up, shut down, movement and even combat. Everything. All of this was recorded, observed, rated and quality assured. The only downside being that it could only simulate Federation vehicles present during the opening of the One Year War, and Zeon Zaku II mobile suits. They were all being judged and ranked based on performance, Amaury and his peers, and they could not afford to complain. There was about forty of them being trained as pilots so far, excluding Monty. He may not have known it when they first met, but Monty was actually the lead pilot amongst the still-growing Mobile Suit Corps. The movement was growing stronger; their numbers multiplying into the hundreds, but only a few of them were even considered to be pilots. And with good reason too. If they were able to acquire mobile suits somehow they couldn't risk an unskilled pilot ruining a fully functional Mobile Suit.

For Amaury, the issue wasn't that he couldn't grasp the concept of piloting the Zaku; it was the unit's limitations. He had never piloted a mobile suit before all of this but after only a few weeks, he felt as if the antiquity of the Zaku II was showing. Having seen videos before of the newest generations of Mobile Suits and what they were capable of, it was plain to see just how outdated this one was. Still, regardless of the aging equipment, Amaury learned fast. His accuracy was in the top ten percentile of the students, and his agility in the top five. His learning was swift and without much questioning, as if what he was doing came as second nature, and even began to draw suspicion onto him. During the middle of his third week of training, some of the observers began to worry that this boy may be a Federation Pilot who infiltrated the ranks of the Movement, and pulled Monty aside to question the leader of the program. "What do you expect, General? He's obviously a Newtype; I can feel it. Come on, have a little faith." Monty argued with General Ishim, an ex-ground commander for Zeon forces in Africa, who frowned beneath his long, grown out beard. "I've trained countless pilots and not one, not even a few known early Newtypes, were capable of learning the Zaku so easily. I'm just expressing concern that-" The General retaliated before being rudely cut off by Monty, who now leaned on the railing, looking down at the boy who stepped forth from the simulator pod.

"Yeah, I know what you are saying. You don't trust my judgment. Don't forget that I worked for the E.F.S.F. for eight years, and I think I would know a spy if I saw one." The man replied, biting his lip to refrain from saying what he really wanted to say, deeming it to be out of line. But, form that refraining motion came an idea. "I'll tell you what. I'll prove to you that he isn't a spy." Monty stated, turning back to the General and staring at him intently. "He's done good so far, but he hasn't faced a _true_ mobile suit pilot yet. You and I both know that, for the most part, Federal pilots act a certain way in the seat. You can spot them by their tactics and demeanor in combat." From the corner of his eye he noticed the boy below looking up to them, causing him to smirk. "Watch." He replied, walking away from the General and down the steps into the area where the simulators were situated.

Pulling his helmet from his head as he stepped out from the pod, the boy had looked up and watched the conversation play out in front of him, though he could not hear the words over the noise inside of the room. He could see the stern look of the observers, especially when it was him who their eyes fell onto with a piercing glare. Something wasn't right, and it couldn't be good. What could he have possible done wrong? Nervously, he climbed down the rest of the ladder to the ground and placed his helmet down on the table in the center of the large open room. From the corner of his eye he saw someone approaching him, but expecting it to be Monty, he was surprised to hear a female's voice. "Nice work in there. We were watching you on the screen up there." She stated, pointing up to a large screen that would cycle between active simulations for both the instructors and the students to observe. "Pretty impressive that you were able to bullseye that GM's sensor at the thousand yard mark despite the Zaku's inaccuracy at long distance shots, especially with the 120mm machine gun." The girl continued with a smile as Amaury's eyes returned to her from the screen. "Uh, thanks." He replied, trying not to show that she had caught him off guard as he stared at her in silence for a moment or two, unsure what to else to say.

"It's not… hard to me, if that makes sense. I just disable the aim assist program and do it manually." He replied as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, hoping that what just blurted out of his mouth didn't seem vain or cocky. His vision naturally drifted form the girls green eyes, now finding it focused on the long black hair braided underneath her cap, the prominent yellow Zeon symbol proudly displayed at the peak. Noticing that he was staring at her hat now and sensing his apparent awkward nature when it came to introductions, she smiled and came up with her own solution to move the conversation forward. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't introduce myself." The girl swiftly seemed to hum, extending her hand forward to shake his. "I'm Carina. I'm one of the mobile suit mechanics here. Well, learning how to be a mechanic." She laughed a bit, looking up to the bow with that same smile. "I'm still in the basics; hydraulics, sensors, kinetic weapon systems. You know, simple things." As she rambled on, Amaury subconsciously smiled a little. He sure was glad she thought that was all simple, because if he had to toy with any of the hydraulics or systems in the mobile suits, or even a car for that matter, he would be up a creek without a paddle. Looking down at her hand, he placed his into her grasp gently and shook. "I'm Amaury. And obviously I'm a pilot here. Well, learning to be a pilot." He replied, jokingly copying what she had said and causing her to laugh a bit, the sound of which brought the slightest red tinge across his face. "You don't say?" Carina giggled, looking to her side as Monty approached the two, his facial expression less than welcoming.

"Amaury, get back in your pod." He said instructed, his boots clicking loudly as the rubber bottoms made contact with the hard floor. "Is something wrong?" He asked shakily while Monty picked up the boys helmet and tossed it to him. "Now Amaury, let's go. I'm not asking." He instructed again loud enough that everyone in the room was staring at the two now, Monty making his way down to the end of the row of simulator pods, where his own personal pod sat. Picking his helmet from the table and placing it on his head, he turned back to the boy who stood still, confused and uneasy. He didn't say it again, instead pointed to him, and then the pod, and proceeded to climb the ladder into his pod. Amaury swallowed harshly, all eyes on him now as he pulled his helmet on. He hated to be the focus of this attention, especially now that he knew something was not right. In a hurry he grasped the handles on the side of the ladder and ascended to the platform before sliding into the cockpit, the simulator team closing the door on him shortly after. As the pod booted up to run and the communications came online, Monty's voice almost immediately boomed across the radio, showing he was impatient.

"The men upstairs think you are a spy, Amaury." Monty began as the screen displaying weapon loadout options appeared, Amaury cycling through the weapons selections. A spy? Why would they think that? He had done nothing wrong, gave them no reason to suspect him of anything. He had nothing to hide! As usual, only the Zaku II was available for choice as the suit, so Amaury went with what he was comfortable with; a Zaku II with standard armament. 120mm Mg, Heat Hawk, 6 single-use Calf rockets and the standard 3 shot bazooka. This was a standard loadout during the war thirty one years ago, and it would offer the best versatility for whatever assignment he had faced before during the simulations, even dueling against other students. But then again, this was Monty. He had to remain vigilant and ready as he knew that even though they had yet to see Monty fight another mobile suit that wasn't artificially controlled, that he was not a beginner. "Prove to me that you are not a spy, kid. Give me everything you've got." Monty said with a light chuckle. "No holding back." This was going to suck, one way or another.

What Amaury didn't know from inside the pod was that everyone in the hangar now huddled around the monitors that displayed the simulations, curious to see what was about to happen, for it had not happened before. Sure, the trainees would duel to increase their skills. That was an everyday occurrence. But never has Monty, the leader of this entire program, dueled a student. With a deep breath Amaury sat nervously, the simulation beginning to count down from forty. It would be a preset battle, dropping directly into the 1v1 combat. The counter seemed to be counting slower and slower, until he watched the finally 5 digits turn as slow as possible, taunting him with each beep. The screen faded to black and when it came back online he found himself in an extremely vivid and detailed war-torn city, staring down his target about two thousand yards. But it wasn't a Zaku.

"That mobile suit… a Gouf?" Amaury asked out loud having read about these mobile suits in the archive. A 07B-3 Gouf Custom. Typically this suit was restrained to special operations use and were credited with dozens of mobile suit kills throughout the course of the One Year War and was far superior to that standard Zaku; a fact driven even further by Monty's yellow paint job and the not one, but two 75mm Vulcan Cannon Shield units as well as a jump pack. "H-How... How the hell did he get that?!" Amaury called over the radio as his voice echoed through the garage area. He was under the assumption that the Pods could only recreate Zaku II and I software. Was this why nobody was allowed to use Monty's pod? Did his pod posses data unavailable to the others? "You can't always expect to know what you are going up against in battle, Amaury." Monty replied as Amaury scoffed in frustration. How was he going to defeat this? "Yeah, but-" Amaury called back across the radio, before a short, harsh burst of fire clanged against his Zaku's shoulder shield, causing him to kneel behind a collapsed building to take cover. "Don't ask questions; fight or get out of my program!" Monty screamed, blasting into the building with both of his weapon systems.

His cover melting away and Monty closing in fast, Amaury relocated boosted backwards to a harder surface and lifted his Bazooka, launching one of the rounds towards the Gouf, only to have it swatted from the sky by the dual gatling cannons. "Well that's not going to work." Amaury mumbled to himself, prepping a second rocket as the Gouf sprang up to the top of the building above him. Forced to act quickly, the boy lifted the bazooka and point blank fired at the Gouf, sending it flying off of the building in the opposite direction. Metal debris dropped onto the Zaku, and despite what was going on, he was impressed with these simulations. They had all the right data to make this all seem real. Unfortunately, his rocket launcher seemed to have also been damaged from the shot, rendering it useless. Dropping the launcher to the ground and deploying the 120mm, he advanced cautiously into the dust clouds concealing the area around the building, scanning the area for any signs of Monty. Though he must have taken quite the hit from that shot, the simulation had not yet ended, and he knew that Monty was still active.

Amaury carefully maintained a watchful eye across all of his screens, nervously swallowing as sweat ran down his face. "Come on, come on... I know you are here." He mumbled to himself silently, just seconds before the Gouf appeared through the dust, almost directly against his Zaku, the Gouf completely undamaged. How could that be, he knew that he had hit it, he _had_ to have hit it. Amaury gasped as he tried to move, but the speed at which Monty revealed himself was so sudden that the warning system in the Zaku went off two seconds _after_ he revealed himself. Reacting as fast as he could, Amaury fired his weapon, but found he was shooting into the ground near the Gouf, which held the gun down to the side and away from its body. "Come on Amaury, you have to do better than that!" Monty called out the boy across the radio, using the Gouf's fist to smash through Amaury's weapon and into the cockpit, setting off all kinds of alarms inside.

Twitching in frustration and annoyance, Amaury boosted himself backwards and threw the now boomerang shaped 120mm MG directly at the Gouf's head as hard as he could, slamming into the unit's head and shattering the single sensor unit. "Who the hell does that..." Monty complained, his vision now distorted as he lifted his remaining Gatling cannon and pressed the trigger. The signature humming sound of dozens of 75mm rounds a second dumping from the barrels of the weapon were interrupted with their contact against the flat metal shield on the Zaku's right shoulder. Pieces of metal shredded from the mobile suit, flying everywhere as Amaury was forced to boost backwards again, instinctively evading the rounds as best as he could. This outdated suit was so sluggish; so slow to respond, slow to boost, slow to fire and to detect. It was hindering him, and he was being shot up because of it.

Finally managing to make some distance between himself and his rival Amaury moved behind buildings and through light cover until finally coming in sight of the Gouf down a large avenue. He noticed now that one of the shield-mounted Gatling cannons was missing, and concluded that Monty must have sacrificed it to protect himself from the rocket. It was impressive to think that Monty's reaction time could be so fast, but at the moment he wasn't looking at him, and due to his damaged sensors he probably hadn't noticed yet. He couldn't give up this opportunity to strike. With no other viable ranged weapons, he fired all six calf rockets at the Gouf to try and strike him while his guard was down, contemplating his next move.

Amaury feverishly thought about what to do as, form the smoke, came the Gouf, charging directly at him. Boosting backwards to buy himself some time, Amaury watched as Monty drew the large heat saber from the shield on his last Gatling cannon, now mangled and burning from his use of the weapon to shield against Amaury's attack once again. Although it wasn't his intention, it seemed that his rocket barrage had leveled the playing field, as they now were both down to melee weapons. If Monty wanted to fight melee, he would do the same, and it wasn't like he had much of a choice, if any. Drawing his heat hawk, Amaury slammed into a building and jumped back towards Monty, raising the heat hawk in the air and using the building as a jumping point. "Remember what I taught you Amaury, the heat hawk is out dated. It cannot stand up to the saber, especially a Beam Saber the Feds use!" Monty spoke warned in an almost punitive manor, just as he fired up the heat saber, it's blade glowing red with superheated energy as the two charged at one another, closing the distance fast. He was right, a saber versus a hawk would be suicide, but Amaury had no other choice. "Just try not to die!" Amaury growled back harshly as he opened his throttle as wide as the aging mobile suit could go.

Monty scoffed at the boy's attitude. Charging right towards him? He doubted he would have the gall to do that in a real combat situation. Who did this kid think he was. Though to be fair, nobody here understood the training that Monty had actually undergone. Slamming into one another as their weapons clashed, they recoiled back, disabled their thrusters and charged one another, this time locking blades. Nervously Amaury pushed back, realizing now that the Gouf's physical strength too was better than the Zaku's. He couldn't win like this. Stepping back he parried the Gouf's blade to the side and lifted the heat hawk to hack down onto the Gouf who instinctively blocked and punched the cockpit door of the Zaku again with his open hand. Amaury growled, knowing he needed to hurry this up if he was going to win, it was that simple. Smashing his heat hawk into the leg of the Gouf with a lucky swing, he neglected to watch where the Gouf's blade was swinging, and lost the Zaku's free hand at the same time; an eye for an eye.

While Monty snickered at his strike's damage as opposed to Amaury's, the boy struck again, lifting the heat hawk directly in the air without any hesitation or flinch at the loss of his arm, hoping to chop through the head of the Gouf and into the main chassis. "I've got you!" Amaury called out too early, as before the heat hawk could make contact, he was stopped. From the wrist of the Gouf shot a wire with a claw at the end, slamming into the Zaku's chest and immediately began to shock the cockpit. Caught off guard as he had not read of this weapon in the Gouf's files, Amaury's surprise wasn't just that his suit had stopped and that he was being shocked in the simulation, it was that he was being physically electrocuted, causing him to scream in real pain as the pod he sat in began smoking from the circuits on the outside.

Throughout the course of the whole battle the others in the room watched intently, without saying much, if anything. No one dared root for Amaury, but neither did they cheer on Monty. Monty, only a few years older than Amaury, may have been in charge of the entire Mobile Suit program, but he had gained the reputation of being a stubborn, arrogant man. A few people resented his command, but would never say anything. They were given a great opportunity here and were not willing to give it up because of personal gripes. As the battle raged on, the attention placed on the screen grew in intensity, escalating higher and higher with the exchange between the two contenders. Nobody had ever seen Monty take so long to finish a simulation. But as the shock attack began, Amaury's pod began to spark and smoke, they knew something was wrong. "W-whats going on?!" One of the pilots blurted out as Carina and a few of the other mechanics ran to the pod with their tools. The pods were actual decommissioned Zaku cockpits on the inside, so the mechanics believed they could do something. Upon inspection the pod appeared to be in proper working order, at least on the outside.

Not realizing that this problem was also occurring on the inside, Carina looked up at the screen and watched the Gouf shocked the Zaku, and now noticed Amaury screaming across the simulated radio. "Something's wrong inside too!" She stated loudly, climbing the ladder to the hatch and tried to pry it open, but was immediately shocked herself and fell to the ground. A few of the pilots ran and picked her up, watching the pod as electricity arced from the wires. "I'm alright, I'm okay." Carina said in shock as she stood and dusted herself off. What the hell was going on?! These pods were not designed to do this, or at least if they were, they were unaware of it. Running over to the area directly under the observation deck, Carina looked up to General Ishim and pointed to Amaury's pod. "Sir, you have to call off the simulation! Something is wrong with Amaury's pod!" She yelled up to the man, who watched on with his hands folded behind his back. He too, like all the others, had watched the fight with great interest. The old man looked down at her, and reached forward to pick up a radio on the desk that was connected to the simulator pods, but before he could say anything, Amaury's suit began to move, and all eyes returned to the screen.

Amaury continued to scream as he was shocked, trying his hardest to focus on the disrupted screen. He did notice that as it went on, it was more of being tased, which he had experienced a few times, except that this was over and over again non-stop. "Give up Amaury. You've done well, but I've got you beat. Surrendering in the field _could_ save your life, you know." Monty stated with an upbeat, victorious grin sweeping over his face, feeling the boy about to crack, while Amaury ground his teeth, groaning loudly in anger and pain. He had to do something. He was _not_ going to let Monty win with such a sly trick being the main vessel to his victory. Plus, he would never hear the end of it. He didn't know if victory would flag him as a spy, but he didn't care. He was going to win this game. Gathering as much focus as possible the boy moved his arm on the controls a little and found that the Mobile Suit still responded to commands, despite being stunned by Monty's attack. This was his chance.

Holding his breath he forced himself to push forward on his controls, screaming out in anger as the heat hawk wielding arm of his Zaku fell, swiping right down into the head and torso of the Gouf. "What?!" Monty yelled as the heat hawk bisected the head of the Gouf and imbedded into the torso, promoting his screens to go dark and his system to go unresponsive as Amaury's Zaku itself collapsed backwards into a building, resting to a stop in a sitting position amongst the rubble. The results were clear; neither man had won.

"A draw?!" Someone called out from the previously dead-silent crowd as the simulation terminated, looking at both pods to see which one would open first. "I can't believe it. That was... Intense." Marcus, one of the other pilots in the room stated as dropped his arms, having been crossed the majority of the fight. He intended to say something else but silenced as the pod down the other end opened, revealing Monty, who seemed less than pleased in the way the battle had just ended. "Oh, he's _pissed_." Marcus said again quietly to the ground around below him, smirking as a few of the others snickered at his statement. A few of them instead turned to Amaury's pod and stared intently waiting for him to emerge but he did not immediately show himself. Half a minute passed by and Carina could wait no more. They were taught that these pilots were their responsibility, and she would not allow one to die here in these training pods before they have their chance to make a difference. Climbing the ladder again, she made her way to the door, just as unsealed and opened up.

Looking up, Amaury stood in front of her, sweat running down his face as he panted heavily. "Are you okay?!" Carina yelled almost in his face as Amaury nodded and kept his eyes from her, looking down at the metal grate of the platform. "Y-Yeah…" He replied quietly, his fingers twitching from the electricity. He looked down at the other pilots, some of which smiled while the others looked concerned, then at Monty who was quickly approaching them all. Still trying to catch his breath, he dropped his helmet onto the scaffolding with a loud clang as it bounced and began to climb down the ladder to confront Monty. What did he do to him? Did he know that was going to happen? Did he know it was going to shock him? The two of them stopped directly in front of one another, Monty looking down at Amaury with a stern look, as Amaury did the same. It was clear that Monty was unhappy with his defeat, and the room grew quiet as tension filled the air, waiting for Monty to snap. But after a few seconds, Monty smirked. "I am very impressed Amaury. You fought like no Feddy I've ever seen, and I doubt you've ever been trained by one. The true son of a Zeon pilot, and an obvious example of a classic Newtype. Like I said." Monty stated, looking to Amaury, Carina and then up at the observation deck where General Ishim simply nodded, not entirely convinced but willing to accept Monty's statement regardless.

However, Amaury continued to stare Monty down despite the fact that he had no intention of staying much longer, still angered by his trick but even more perplexed by his declaration. Could he really be a Newtype, was that why he did so well? Was it really possible he was bred to pilot mobile suits? Quickly Monty turned and walked to a table, pulled his helmet off, slicked his hair back to its normal look and took a deep breath. "Ah, well. That's it for today everyone, see you in the morning. Depending on what news I hear back from on our informant on Earth tonight, I might have a story for you all in the morning." He said, staring at Amaury for a moment before turning back to Carina with a grin. "Carina, are we still on for dinner?" He asked, looking up at the girl who still stood at the cockpit door with Amaury's helmet in her hands blinked, causing her to nod. "Yes." She said sheepishly, looking down at the green flight helmet in her hands. Amaury's eyes focused on Carina in confusion. Dinner? He was taking one of the people who served under him out to dinner? On a date? Torturing students in simulations pods, taking others out on romantic endeavors; this guy was something else. "Good." Monty said with smirk, looking to Amaury once more with a wink and walking away towards the garage exit to freshen up.

"It's probably going to be a sex story." Marcus commented again quietly to the crowd, who all mostly snickered under their breath, except for Carina who scowled at him and turned a dark shade of red as she approached Amaury. "Here Amaury." She said, handing him back his helmet with a small smile, only maintaining eye contact for a brief second before turning and walking towards the exit, punching Marcus in the shoulder roughly on her way out. He waited until she left to walk towards Amaury, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Well buddy, you may not have beaten him but you sure showed him what we are learning and that this whole thing isn't just a waste of his time." He said with a grin, the others agreeing and bringing up moments from the fight, cheering about all that happened. However, even with everyone talking about his performance, Amaury couldn't help but stare at the door that both Carina and Monty had left through, his thoughts drifting off into a million different directions, including about what this news might be.


	3. Chapter 3: A Grand Scheme

Another month passed and with it came an increase in training for everyone, from the prospective ground forces practicing tactics throughout the water plant, to the mechanics moving on to Minovsky reactor maintenance to prepare for full mobile suit repairs and even building. The pilots began to practice exclusively with dueling one another and in space, since the two different types of warfare were completely different. Given a choice, Amaury began to develop a preference for space combat on the grounds that, in his opinion, he had better control of the Zaku in space than he did on the ground, maintaining his top ten percentile rating throughout the remainder of their basic training on the mobile suit program. As their training came to a close, excitement filled the air within the compound, and not just because they were nearly ready to begin The Movement, but because as the days passed by, more and more information about the plan became available, but at the same time, so did what they were going to be up against. The most comforting of news was that they were not alone; The Dresden incident had shaken the colonies to the core and across all of Side 3 groups had begun to come together and prepare for the enactment of The Movement, preparing for their part in the plan. But the plan itself was, in its simplest form, complicated.

There were a lot of situational factors, relying on luck and chance for the successful completion of the first step of The Movement. There had been a contact, a man on Earth, investigating locations of what could possibly be warehouses filled with leftover Mobile Suits from the One Year War and following conflicts, hidden under the ground, in mountains or even the ocean where the Federation could not find them. The contact was also to mark known Federation storehouses where scrap parts were to be located, whether it to be used as construction equipment and targets for training. Almost all traces of Zeon mobile suits had been eradicated from space as part of the treaty signed with the dissolution of the Republic of Zeon, so their only hope would be to take them from the Federation, or source them somewhere else. The big question on everyone's mind was the same; could these places have really remained hidden from the world for past 31 years?

This question rolled around in Amaury's head over and over again as well. Would he be going down to Earth to get them, or would the infantry be the ones assigned to this? Maybe they would all go together. He didn't want to just sit back and watch it all happen. Not while people, his people, were dying. Finally after days of anxiety amongst everyone in The Movement, a general assembly was held to discuss the plan even further. Filing in with the crowd, Amaury held his fists tightly shut in his pockets, aimlessly following the flow of green uniforms and grey hoodies down the hallway. He wasn't sure why his hands were shaking so badly or why there was a ringing in his ears, but he knew it had to have something to do with this assembly; nervous to find out what his assignment would be. Zoned out of his surroundings, Amaury failed to hear someone calling his name, despite the booming voice calling his name over and over again. "I know you can hear me!" Marcus called again, placing his hand on Amaury's shoulder, causing him to jump and look at who was grabbing him.

"Oh hey, Marcus. I'm sorry, I'm just a little-" He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Distracted. Yeah I know kid, we all are. But come on, this is all so exciting. We are about to find out what we will be doing to move forward with the plan, to push The Movement forward!" Marcus boomed again, jokingly saluting to Zeon with a serious look on his face as Amaury laughed, knowing that Marcus was trying to relieve the weight on his shoulders. Marcus was a good friend, and excellent comic relief. He was always the one to laugh first, and last. And sometimes when it wasn't appropriate. "Why do you keep calling me kid Marcus? You're not that much older than me." Amaury asked, looking forward again at the crowd of people. "Because I _am_ older than you, that's why." He swiftly replied with a big grin. Marcus was a tall man, with a long family history in space. His father too had also fought in the One Year War and conflicts afterwards, only to die of cancer several years ago, believed to have been the result of radiation exposure. In fact, he wore a necklace around his neck with the Zeon symbol at all times, its thick silver bars standing out against his dark skin. Amaury had always assumed that it was his father's, and that wearing it was a tribute to him.

"Now cheer up. Besides, I bet Carina will be there." He added as Amaury's face darkened and the boy began looking around to make sure that no one was staring. Insinuating that Amaury had feelings for the girl, or that she had feelings for him, was a good way to have Monty on his back even more than normal. "Marcus shut up. That's the last thing that I need Monty to hear..." Amaury replied as Marcus snickered. Things between Monty and himself had been strange. Although he had not outright said it, Amaury was positive that Monty knew the training pod would shock him, and that he had done it on purpose, or had even instructed to have the system installed himself, maybe under good intentions, but still it bothered him. Since then it became apparent that Monty's pod held the data file for the Gouf and its weapons, explaining how he was able to pilot it during the simulation, and casting suspicion on to why Monty did not share the file and to what else he was hiding from his students. And since then, Monty had been acting strange; staring at him, offering less help and advice, speaking to him less in general. Almost as if he was now attempting to distance himself from someone who had basically been his student.

"Oh cut the shit, man! We all saw it, the way she was talking to you, the way she was looking at you. Right Sam?!" Marcus called out, turning behind them to another pilot who followed closely behind, a blonde haired younger boy who was about Amaury's height and build. "He's right Amaury, we all saw it." Sam backed up Marcus, who still maintained his grin at Amaury, in turn maintained his red face, although it had grown darker. "I hate you guys. Honestly, I'm not going to save any of you." Amaury muttered jokingly as Marcus and Sam laughed. "I don't expect to be saved, I plan to do the saving." Marcus fired back, messing up Amaury's hair as he grumbled.

The laughing ended abruptly as they all entered the room however; what was once the cafeteria for the water filtration plant staff had become the staging ground for the coordination of The Movement. It was decrepit with light fixtures smashed out and fallen ones thrown to the corners of the room, replaced with temporary, free standing flood lights. But it was enough space for all of the staff as well as the now, fairly large, Zeon force that had been constructed. As the last of the personnel moved into the room, Amaury looked around, seeing many familiar faces, as well as the Admiral who had interviewed him originally who stood in front of the now three hundred Zeon members.

He then spotted Monty to his right, a few people over, and Carina by his side. Apparently they truly were a 'thing' now, and they had no problem showing it. How odd this was in this setting, to see a couple in a soon-to-be warzone, going against everything he had come to understand about war so far. But he quickly realized that the look on her face was uneasy, just like his own, though he was unsure if it was because of what was going on or a more personal level and he dare not ask. She never mentioned it to him in one of their encounters, though she too has acted a bit odd. Well, he assumed odd, as he didn't know her too well, and truth be told, he wasn't the best at understanding women to begin with. It must have been the meeting at this point, but at the same time, Monty stood with no problem, stern faced. Did he know something that the rest of them didn't? It wouldn't surprise him since it always seemed as if he was the Admiral's finest. Briefly, Carina looked over at Amaury from the corner of her eyes, but didn't acknowledge him, and returned her attention to the Admiral as began to speak.

"Men and women of the Zeon Reformation Movement; the time is almost upon us to liberate ourselves from Federation control for good." The Admiral, who Amaury had since learned was Admiral Krupp, a well-known fleet commander from the One Year War and veteran of such battles as Solomon Fortress and A Baoa Qu, began to preach. "We have deliberated a plan that we believe will be both effective and successful in achieving our goal of arming our teams with Mobile suits. As you are aware, we had sent spies to locate facilities left during the One Year War and conflicts following that may be holding, in secret, stores of weapons, munitions and mobile suits. That, unfortunately, did not succeed to the degree we had hoped." The Admiral spoke as a few gasps in the crowd could be heard, as well as some mumblings. Waiting until all silenced again, Admiral Krupp began to continue. "It appears that in recent years a hunt for these locations by the E.F.S.F. was conducted, and what ones truly did exist were found and opened, the contents confiscated and sold to a government-contracted company to be decommissioned and sold as scrap metal. As of last year, all remaining mobile suits have been transported to an unknown location. Now, all-" The rest of the conversation drowned in the boys head as Amaury's fists tightened together more at his side, his blank stare at the Admiral marked with a wide-eyed scowl that crept across his face.

No mobile suits? Now what? What should they do now? No, what _could_ they do? Their mission was falling apart in front of them. How long would they have to wait now to act? How many more countless colonists would have to die before they could be set free? His teeth ground together in anger as his vision snapped fiercely to General Ishim, now standing next to Krupp, who stepped forward to deliver the next part of their planned speech, which many feared to hear. "But," Ishim began, turning around to the blank wall behind them as a projector turned on, showing images on the white, chipped paint of the old dining hall, the crown once again falling completely silent.

"One of our informants has acquired a job for the company who has been contracted to dismantle the mobile suits, the VerAc Corporation, and after weeks of security clearance and training, has located the scrap yard VerAc operate and is storing and decommissioning the mobile suits. According to him, the company has been slacking in the disassembly of the suits, and many are still in working, if not slightly in a state of disrepair. The scrap yard and airfield for VerAc is located about 400 miles outside of what was once Sydney, Australia. The company was originally founded during the war to help both dispose of the remains of those killed in the horrendous act of Operation British, but to also reclaim valuable natural resources and scrap to feed to the Federal war machine. The security is a private contractor, so it will be heavily armed to meet with Federal requirements, and attacking the base is not feasible without mobile suits of our own." Having said as much as possible to avoid interruption by the restless crowd, Ishim stops to catch a breath, looking out at all of them with a bit of a sigh of relief. He thought for sure there would be a mutiny with the deliverance of Krupp's half of the news.

"However, there is hope for us still. Per our inside man, last week two ships landed at the facility that were not chartered to be there. Two heavily modified ex-Federation Clop-Class cruisers with unregistered identification numbers somehow managed to slip through the Earth's Port Authority and land." The projector now cut over to an image of the two ships sitting in the dock yard, their coyote brown and desert tan coloring blending unintentionally well with the desert backdrop. "At first we assumed that this was likely just an illegal scrap sale to underground organizations, and that the ships simply bribed their way through the Authority. But it appears that their cargo is not _scrap_. They are loading complete _mobile suits_ as well as parts, weapons and ammunition onto these two ships. I'm sure we have all been seeing the reports on the news the last few months about increased pirate activity in outer reaches of Federation controlled space, correct? The rumors were that the pirates were using mobile suits to strike mining vessels and merchant freighters, which the Federation denounced as impossible; how could the pirates be acquiring such weaponry?" Ishim changed slides once more, showing an actual image of an unknown mobile suit covered with tarps being loaded onto one of the ships, VerAc workers as well as unknown uniformed men in orange jumpsuits visible in the foreground complete various tasks.

"VerAc is selling them to the pirates." The general stated the obvious as a few in the crowd raised their hands to ask questions, but immediately Admiral Krupp comes back to the front. "Please, let us explain first. As General Ishim stated, any attempt to attack this base without mobile suits will result in a slaughter, and so will any attempt to assault a Federal mobile suit warehouse. Even if it was feasible, once it is all said and done and even if successful, the whole world will know we are here, and we will be hunted to the ends of the Earth Sphere."

"However, there is another option; our only option. This will not be a simple recovery mission as we had hoped with the hidden storehouses, but we have no choice." He begins, the slide changing to an illustrated map of the Earth.

"Our informant has acquired the route data from the two ships. They plan to depart earth and sneak along the outer rim of the Earth Sphere back to their headquarters out in deep space in a location only they know. However, due to their remote location, they have contracted a refueling ship to top of fuel supply near the old, pre-relocation home of Side 5, inside of the Loum debris field known as the Shoal Zone. They will be using the disruption of the debris field to help keep Federation ships off of their tail. Through our contacts, the informant were able to secure us, operating under a fake company name, the contract to refuel the ship. Their ships are not scheduled to depart Earth for another two weeks, leaving us time to acquire a ship and met them at the rendezvous point. The informant states that they will not have an escort besides each other until well past the Loum debris field. So, the tentative plan is while docked to refuel, we take the ships from them, springing the trap aboard both ships as the same exact time to ensure we take both ships equally. With mobile suits in hand, we can further move forward with our plan, and since we are robbing these criminals, the Federation will likely be none the wiser, since it is highly unlikely they would ever go to the authorities. More details will become available as we discuss it more amongst ourselves, but for right now, expect to be leaving here in about a week."

As the whole crowd erupted into cheering and discussion amongst each other, Amaury looked down to the cracked floor below. This all seemed risky, and the sheer amount of variables was daunting. There was no way the two ships were without escort, even if it was internally stored where the informant could not see, like mobile suits or fighters. If these are the pirates, or people selling mobile suits to the pirates, there had to be some kind of contingency against piracy against themselves. Not to mention, even with the ships under their control, how would they not themselves be marked as pirates? Pirates did not typically receive docking privileges at their colony, and without that, how could they ever go home? Amaury's attention returned back to Admiral Krupp when he waved his hand for silence in the crowd. "Not all of us will be able to take part in this journey, and I will not lie, it will be dangerous. It is a great risk. But as we all know, with great risk comes great reward. I will be asking for volunteers to partake in this mission from all parts of our organization; the general armed forces, the Mobile Suit Corp and the Maintenance division." Although this assignment would be purely voluntary, he felt compelled to volunteer. After all, it was the reason he was there and he would be damned if he wasn't going to get the opportunity to prove that all of this wasn't for nothing. And apparently the others felt the same, as one after another, voices called out in the dark room.

"Send me sir!" A voice cried, followed by another, cheering and clapping for them following shortly behind, and more voices. It continued for a few seconds nonstop, and so awestruck was Amaury that he had almost forgotten completely to raise his own hand, until he witnessed Monty's hand raise, as if his presence on the mission was already implied. "Someone's got to lead the charge, right?" He said loudly over the cheering and whistling which could likely be heard outside of the concrete facility they had lived in for the last few months. Monty's vision shifted from the Admiral to Amaury, who felt the gaze of his squad leader like it was setting him ablaze and a short second later lifted his own hand out from his pocket and into the air for all to see. Marcus, who had already volunteered, nudged him jokingly to fire him up as Amaury nodded back to him agreement with the sentiment, also now seeing that Sam too had volunteered.

Seeing that some of his best students had all volunteered for the assignment, Monty looked to them and nodded. "Glad you boys are with me." He called out of the cheering, a grin across his face; the first genuine smile the boys had seen in weeks. Something struck as odd to Amaury however as he looked past Monty and noticed Carina looking at them all. While everybody else in the room cheered and continued to volunteer, she held this somber look on her face, suggesting she was unsure of the whole thing. If that was the case, he could understand. Even though he was excited and eager on the outside, deep down he was scared as well. Not so much of the fear of death, but more so the feeling of not knowing what was to come.

Caught staring at her when her eyes locked to his, the boys hand slowly lowered to his side as her own raised, adding herself to the team as Monty turned and smiled, playfully messing up her hair. This was his first public display of some form of intimacy with her, causing Carina to smile up to him before they he turned back to the Admiral, allowing Amaury's eyes to shift back to Carina, locking their eyes together once more before she too turned back as the Admiral. "Thank you all for this. I know with all of you, and all of our allies, we have a great chance to make our home free again. That is all that we have for you right now. You are all dismissed. Those of you who volunteered, list your names while leaving, and we will be in touch." With his last sentence the Admiral did something that he had not done in quite a long time. Standing straight up in correct posture and in one motion, the Admiral, as well as General Ishim saluted the group before them in the traditional Zeon fashion, signifying that no longer was this a ragtag group of vagrants, and that to him, these were true soldier of the ideals of Zeon. Instantly the crowd returned the salute back without hesitation, albeit a bit stunned by their leaderships motion, and after a moment began to return to their assigned tasks for the day.

"Oh yeah, some real action soon!" Sam called out in the hallway as they walked back into the facility, destined for the underground processing section for routine small arms drills, the boy's excitement barely containable as his face beamed with excitement. While not as excited as Sam, Amaury too felt a great sense of anxiety and anticipation. They weren't just pilots anymore; they were _Zeon_ pilots. "Relax Sam; you don't want to get too excited. Don't let a Feddy get the best of you, or I'll never let you live it down." Marcus boomed back as he jokingly lunged forward towards Sam, pretending to swing hit him as Sam struck a defensive pose and skipped backwards while Marcus laughed, causing Amaury to snicker, breaking the stern, burdened look that had previously been on display since leaving the meeting. "Yeah Sam, so help me god I will use you as mobile cover." Amaury replied, looking up at the blonde headed boy through a loose strand of his own hair. In all honesty this emotion was only a front as Amaury was indeed terrified. Though the Admiral and even the General seemed hopeful and quite confident this would work, a lot could go wrong and they could lose everything, and everyone. But he could never let them see it. They all needed to be as fearless as possible, and he was sure that every single other one of them felt same way inside. But he also knew that he could not sit around and brood over this fact. It would consume him and make him only fear more. Only time would tell who survived, and whether or not they were successful, so for now the only thing there was to do was make sure they were trained to the optimal and mentally prepared to give it their all, for both The Movement and the lives of their friends depended on it.


	4. Chapter 4: R&R

One week was all the time they were given before the operation was set to begin, meaning that in that single week they had to finalize every little detail and ensure everything was squared away. The plan had all but been pieced together now, the shuttle purchased with aid of an anonymous donor and licensed with the Federation and the contract written and signed by their very first 'customer'; a group called the Reclamation Bros; a precious metal dealer based out of Side 1. Under this guise these two vessels frequently landed at the VerAc yards to collect bulk scrap metal for processing into various precious resources and while it all looked good on paper the more the Movement's spies looked into it the more it became clear that these may not be the pirates troubling the Federation, but that they had some connection to in some way. It was ironic really; if their plan succeeded, a fake company would have ripped off another, as on the Movement's end they would company would fly under the façade of Fleetserv Pro, a company who specialized in long distance refueling and freighter maintenance while out of dock. It was sufficient cover to get them close enough to spring their trap, especially since the ship the purchased was a modified Columbus-Class refueling tanker, capable of docking next to two capital ships at once with one on each side. This would make boarding both ships at the same time simple and hopefully easy. The entire Movement revolved around this being a treasure trove of military hardware with failure meaning the loss of their hope for freedom, so each little bit of help they were able to gain was welcomed. In the days following the mission the crews learned their assignments and were all assigned corresponding ranks based on how they had done throughout their training as well as the skill and ability they presented during that period.

Now fully revealed to be ex-Federation pilot Edward McNeil, Monty was placed as head of the Mobile Suit Corp as its Lieutenant Commander. Following under him at the rank of Ensign and serving as his direct subordinate and right hand man was another ex-Federation Pilot named Geoff Walker, who had only recently appeared into the Movement after heeding Monty's call for assistance, since upon the plan's completion they would have two separate ships to crew. Marcus, Sam and Amaury were all promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 1st class, while the remaining pilots were spread between Petty Officer 2nd and 3rd class and a total of one hundred and twenty men and women were chosen take part in the operation, no appropriately named Operation Duality, and were to be split into two sets of sixty man crews to man the two vessels.

Two days before the operation all of those destined for departure received strict orders that over the final two days they were to simply relax and enjoy what time they had left at home as it was uncertain when they exactly would return, and were allowed to spend their time however they wanted. Everyone was stressed and extremely anxious with the tension in the air so thick it was almost suffocating, and Admiral Krupp felt it necessary that everyone relax before the beginning of their uprising. Though, there did come a stipulation that everyone behave however as they couldn't afford for anyone to be arrested and risk exposing The Movement. On their second to last night home Marcus, having been quite the night lurker prior to the Dresden Incident, dragged Sam and Amaury reluctantly from the Filtration Plant to a somewhat popular bar and club known simply as 'The Launch', which took its name from the docks only a few blocks from its location. It was a young person's bar and they fit right in without much question, though admittedly it was odd seeing each other in normal clothing and out in public after having spent so much time in training in what was essentially an underground bunker.

"Oh come on you two!" Marcus mocked as he looked across the table at the barely legal boy, his face down on the bar, half full beer bottle in hand. "Sam, you've barely had five beers and you're already drunk!? And Amaury, you haven't even finished your first! What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Hollered Marcus loudly, who himself had already polished off several drinks; at least double the amount of Sam. "I told you I don't really drink, it's just not in my nature." Amaury replied, leaning back in the club booth as he fiddled with his antiquated phone, looking up once and a while to scan the room. As much as he tried to relax he could not do so effectively, not just because such a life changing event was about to take place, but also because this was all foreign territory to him. Unknown to even his best friends Marcus and Sam he had never once been to a place like this. Sure, dive bars were where he sometimes would stay the night in exchange for cleaning up the place after closing, but not this. This was a club with people dancing and singing; it might as well been a whole other planet.

"Well what's his excuse, huh?" Marcus asked after pointing to Sam, whose mumbled words formed something inaudible as his face laid against the polished hardwood in response to Marcus' comments. Amaury looked up and shook his head. "He's just not as good as you." He smirked as Marcus slammed his hands down on the table, laughing, causing Sam to lift his head and look around disoriented. "Your damn right!" He hollered again as Amaury rolled his eyes.

"Amaury, you need to relax." Marcus said as he flagged down the server again, calling for another round of drinks for all three of them while giving the server what he assumed was a naughty whisper in the ear as she giggled and went to fetch the beer. He certainly had a mighty tolerance for alcohol and a way with women that was unrivaled within the rest of the mobile suit corps. Even some of the women within the Corp itself found themselves rather intrigued by the man, a fact Amaury had come to know after witnessing some of them gathered around him a week prior, gawking as he recalled details of a simulation match he had just finished against Amaury. "We may all die tomorrow; you have to live life today!" Marcus instructed as Amaury raised his eyebrow and looked up at his teammate. As far as he knew, he was living just fine; much better than he had been the past few years at least. "You mean, the day after tomorrow?" He sarcastically replied, taking a drink of his existing beer.

"I mean, since tomorrow the only danger I will encounter will be trying to pack a months' worth of uniforms into a single bag, and then attempting to carry said bag all the way to the docks." Amaury added as Marcus scoffed, finishing the last big gulp of his own beer as he signaled the server to bring them more. "You know what I mean, don't fuck with me. We are _literally_ surrounded by beautiful women and you are just playing with your phone. We are in a club! Listen to this great music, go find someone, get drunk, take them home, and enjoy life!" Marcus yelled loudly with his hands in the air, a few of the other resistance members in the bar cheering him on. Amaury just remained silent however, scrolling through the page he was reading on his phone, returning his attention to it promptly. Seeing that Amaury was unwilling to bite on his bait, Marcus sighed. "What are you even reading?" He asked, trying to peer over the table at his phone.

Seeing Marcus' attempt to read his phone, Amaury turned it towards him to show him the article of news. "It's just news from Earth about the Federation's cut backs. They have been retiring and decommissioning a large portion of their armed forces over the last decade and the news today is that they are calling for more cuts." He said, scrolling through the pages and pictures, showing Marcus who only nodded. "The Naval administration is opposed to this, but since there hasn't been much conflict really since the defeat of The Sleeves in '96, the Prime Minister and his security council are going over their heads. Last year they even announced the end of the Gundam Program." Amaury stated while locking his phone screen, having finished the article he was reading. "I've spent the last weeks wondering how we could stand up to the Federation, even without the Gundams, but if they keep this up, everything should be easier than we hoped. Monty claims that your average Federation Jegan Pilot is still less capable than one of us." Amaury stated, looking over to Sam to make sure he was still alive as Marcus stared at him for a second, before looking up at the waitress as she return with their drinks, sliding one into Sam's hand despite his already well inebriated state.

"Amaury let me ask you a question." He said, taking a drink of his fresh beer, Amaury's sight returning to him again. "Do you have family here in the colonies? I know that you had talked about your dad, but what about your mother? Any brothers or sisters? We've known each other now for two months and I don't think I've asked you this yet. At least, I don't remember doing so." He asked as Amaury looked at his phone momentarily as if contemplating using it as a distraction to get away from this conversation, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Gently biting his tongue a few times in his mouth as he thought, he set his phone down and sat back, looking back to Marcus before speaking. "On the colonies? No. I'm an only child. My father was killed during the first Neo-Zeon war and my mother left a few years back when I was fourteen, unable to take me with her. I have no idea where she is, what she is doing, or if she is even alive. I… prefer not to think about it." He stated, sliding his phone back to himself on the table and then placing it in his pocket as Marcus nodded again. "Ah." He replied, not entirely sure what to say. It took a while of for him to come up with something, but before he could speak something caught his eye; Sam had starting drinking again. "There you go Sam, get it in!" Marcus laughed as he patted Sam on the back, proud that he was still drinking.

Turning back to Amaury, Marcus attempted to finish his thought but his eye caught something else on the far side of the club. "Well, look at that." He said with a smirk, prompting Amaury to look up at him and then across the bar, sifting from face to face until he saw Carina, sitting alone at a booth near the club's front windows. "There ya go Amaury, that's who you should be talking to tonight!" Marcus smirked as Amaury immediately shot his glare back to him. "Don't even think about it." Amaury warned with a stern demeanor as he stared his friend down, attempting his best to throw daggers into Marcus' soul with his eyes. "Me? I'm not doing anything." Marcus joked, motioning his hands to represent them being clean before turning to look at Carina again, appearing to be looking for her attention. "Come on Marcus, really? You're going to start this again?" Amaury asked, rubbing his face as Marcus stared at him with an almost evil grin. "Come on, don't be a fool. You know that she has some kind of thing for you. Look at the way she looks at you for example. She don't look at Monty like that, that's for sure. How can you deny that?" He asked as Sam laughed a little though he was still unable to form complete words, leading whatever he had said to come out in a mash of sounds similar to babbles. Whatever he had actually managed to drink was obviously too much, leaving him completely smashed.

" _Because_ Marcus, I'm not going to sleep with my commanding officer's girlfriend." He replied, covering his face from Marcus' vision while simultaneously looking at Carina. She seemed upset, staring into the glass in her left hand blankly as the right supported her head. She was rather deep in thought about something, not taking notice to anything else going on in the world around her. This was a side of her none of them had really seen before, nor had they seen her long dark hair let down from its braids or the ornate day dress she was wearing; its bright color and floral pattern catching his eye no matter how he tried to look away. Was the empty seat across from her meant for Monty, and if so, where was he? "Please. He might be our commanding officer, but you have to admit he can be a bit of a dickhead." Marcus replied, taking another drink of his beer in the process.

As Carina lifted her head for a moment and looked around the club Amaury put his head back down to avoid being scene, though with Marcus staring right at her it wouldn't be particularly effective. "Well, apparently those guys don't seem to care if he is your commanding officer's girlfriend or not." Marcus added, pointing at the two men who had approached her a few seconds after Amaury looked away, now talking to her despite the fact that she clearly did not want to be bothered. It was clear they were EFSF soldiers by the uniforms they wore, though he couldn't tell exactly what rank or role they played. "Someone should do something, you know, since Monty isn't here." Marcus added as he stared across the table at Amaury with a devilish look until Amaury looked to him and then Sam, whose blank stare across the bar automatically ruled him out of this. With a heavy sigh Amaury stood from the table and turned towards Carina, the two soldiers still pestering her. "Well don't everyone jump up at once." He said, looking at Sam, then Marcus. "Don't let him drink anymore. I'll be back." Marcus grinned at Amaury's instruction and nodded. "We've got your back Amaury." He reassured Amaury with a laugh, causing the boy to roll his eyes as he walked over towards Carina and the two men. Watching as he walked over Marcus waited until Amaury was out of earshot before sliding Amaury's untouched beer over into Sam's hand, preparing to watch whatever was about to play out.

Nervously swallowing, as a reaction to both Carina and the two well-built men harassing her, Amaury approached and stood next to her. "Hey Carina, I didn't know that you were here." He said with a slightly timid smile as she returned the gesture, grateful that he had come to her aid, though it was clear he wasn't familiar with the bar tactic of pretending to be someone's date or guest to shake unwanted attention. "Y-Yeah, I just got he-" She started to say before one of the soldiers intervened, huffing in annoyance at the new boy's appearance. "Hey, we were talking to her kid, fuck off." The tallest one stated as the other, a much smaller individual, smirked. "Yeah, fuck off." He echoed as Amaury stared at the two from the corner of his eye before looking at Carina once again; the girl seeming to be even more nervous at their harsh displeasure of his arrival. "That is true, you were here first… but I don't think she really wants to talk to _you_ , that's the problem." Amaury replied sharply after a second as he now turned to the two men, both of which stood straight up from their previously hunched stance while leaning on the table.

"I really don't want to be rude guys, I just don't feel well and I really should be going. My friend here, he-" She said, trying to diffuse the situation by standing to leave but the two soldiers seemed unwilling to let her slip away, preventing her from walking from the table while keeping their attention on the dark haired boy who opposed them. "Oh yeah? Who do you think you are kid? We are soldiers; mobile suit pilots. And what are you? Just some street rat? Nothing but gutter scum." The one said, pushing Amaury back violently as Carina bit her tongue. Amaury remained quiet for a second as he regained his balance before forming a smug grin across his lips. "Pilots?" Amaury said softly as Carina shook her head slowly towards him, afraid he was going to say something he shouldn't. Seeing her reminder to keep quiet, Amaury bit his tongue and instead tightening his fists in anger as the smaller soldier pushed him again amongst laughter from the two of them. This was what was wrong with the Federation; largely inhabited with men like these two who saw the colonies as their playing ground, not a sovereign nation filled with people.

"Yeah, pilots. You know, those big walking things with guns that have kept you all safe?" The smaller soldier taunted Amaury while his scowl deepened. Safe? These two needed to research the meaning of 'safe', for it certainly didn't include shooting civilian protesters with ammunition the size of trash cans. Making a distance between Amaury and Carina, the larger soldier saw an opportunity to act on his own, resuming his conversation with the girl. "So, like I was saying earlier, have you ever seen the inside of mobile suit?" He asked, bending down a bit, since he was the taller of the two and basically towered over the petite girl, smelling her hair like some kind of animal and placing his hand on her shoulder as he did so. "Because I'd be more than willing to give you the _grand_ tour, if you know what I mean." He added, sending shivers down her spin and causing her face to cringe, breaking Amaury's tolerance clear in half.

Immediately growling under his breath he grabbed the wine bottle in front of Carina and smashed it over the smaller soldier's head causing him to stumble back away from the group and grab his bloodied head. "Guah, you b-bastard!" He cried out in pain while Amaury, not allowing a second for the other soldier to fully realize what was happening, dashed forward to shoulder-ram him and knock him back, though much to his surprise the man was fast and quickly gained the upper hand anyway. "You little prick!" He yelled, connecting his fist into the Amaury's face and knocking him harshly to the floor as from across the floor Marcus' jaw dropped. "Oh Shit!" He yelled, pushing Sam out into the aisle before he ran towards the fight and instantly tackled the taller soldier to the ground as the area around the fight began to clear out, even Carina stepping back as the small soldier stood back to his feet and kicked Amaury in the stomach; blood running from his face where the glass had slashed across his nose and forehead. "Look what you did, you fuckin' scum!" He yelled, drawing a knife from his pocket and unfolding it in a flashy, overly eccentric maneuver, though just as he did a drunken Sam appeared and cracked him in the jaw and caused him to stumble.

"Ouch!" Sam yelled as he shook his fist, looking the small soldier right in the face as he reared back his fist. "I'm sorry-" Sam attempted to apologize before he himself was punched out cold; his head recoiling back before he slowly, and comically, fell backwards to the ground. Although he didn't do well in the fight, Sam certainly gave Amaury enough time to get to his feet. "Sam!" Amaury yelled before tackling the shorter soldier into a table and disarming him and grabbing the knife though the larger brute quickly grabbed Amaury by his shirt, lifted him up above the table and tossed him through a window into the street outside; a car swerving to avoid hitting the boy as he came to a stop in middle of the road.

Himself rolling out of the bar to his feet, Marcus rushed to Amaury's side, raising him to his feet as he did so without delay. "Amaury, get up. Come on, get up!" His voice called with a bit of excitement from the adrenaline rush associated with a good fist fight as Amaury looked at him, his nose and face bleeding from a few cuts, though his most serious injury was his eye, which had swollen quite a bit from the soldier's fist. "I'm up, I'm up…" He huffed while shaking his head to regain his senses, just as Marcus pointed to the door. "Good, because here they come!" He yelled, charging forward and locking grip with the larger of the two, freeing the smaller one up for Amaury.

"You should have just left us alone kid!" He yelled as Amaury ran at him, grunting as he watched him pulling what appeared to be a folding baton from a pouch on his belt and extended it. Too late to cancel his swing, Amaury swung and missed and was immediately whipping harshly in the forearm, which he had mistakenly lifted to defend against the steel rod. Crying out in pain, he dodged the second swing and responded, swinging forward and hitting the soldier in the nose, breaking it immediately.

"You FUCK!" The soldier screamed loudly in a rage before swinging frantically to hit Amaury, striking him in the side and causing him to fall to a knee in pain. Recoiling from the pain as he grunted loudly, Amaury closed his eyes, but as he opened them again it was clear to him that something had… changed. In front of him charged the enemy swinging his weapon wildly towards him, but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Confused, Amaury looked around at the others around him, seeing that they too had slowed, at least in his mind. He had been in plenty of fights over the years, but never before had this happened. Sure, he knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by adrenaline, but this was different, and while it was not truly 'slow motion', his enemy moved at such a rate that it seemed as if he could predict his movements. Seeing this he was able to dodge the soldier's baton again and seizing the opportunity, he grabbed the soldier's arm at the wrist holding the baton as forcefully as he could, halting the attack in its tracks.

Shocked, the soldier gasped, trying his hardest to continue the baton down onto Amaury's head. "What? How?!" The soldier cried out as Amaury stood, still holding his wrist. "H-How did he move that fast?!" The man asked aloud again as the boy before him continued to stare at him in anger and confusion while he continued to think about this odd sensation. In his mind he too moved slowly but not as slow as his enemies, with the only thing that didn't seem affected being his mind and his vision, which worked at an accelerated rate in this reality. What could this be? Was this something to do with him being a Newtype? It shouldn't be since he had never felt anything like this before, but could it? What changed in him? A crowd had now gathered outside the bar as men and women cheered on both sides of the fight including Carina, who after giving up attempting to wake up Sam came to see what exactly was going on. Upon seeing Amaury she almost immediately knew something was off about him, especially with how intently he stared at his foe while crushing his wrist.

"Tom, g-get this guy off of me…" The small soldier tried to call his friend to help but stopped as Amaury's eyes flicked back to him in an instant; his seemingly emotionless face causing him to panic as without warning, Amaury suddenly and violently snapped his wrist, breaking it before knocking the man onto his back, kneeling on his chest and using the now free baton to strike him in the head, knocking him out cold. "Oooh!" The crowd called out in both surprise and disgust at the boy's attack, some of which looked away after becoming nauseous from the noise the snapping bones made; Carina included.

As the boy's fight ended however he collapsed to a knee, panting heavily from exhaustion as the slow motion reality he had encounter disappeared. Turning towards Marcus, who had apparently finished his own brawl and stood watching him, Amaury laughed once. "Good job kid. We won." Marcus said, helping Amaury to his feet as he winced in pain, his body sore all over. "Did we really though?" He asked as his eyes looked around for Carina, who the whole fight had been fought over. Much to his surprised however, she was walking towards the two of them with concern across her face. "Are you two alright?" She asked as she came close, prompting both Marcus and Amaury to laugh under their heavy breathes. "Yeah, we are ok." The man replied as Amaury looked her over quickly. "What about you… are you okay, Carina?" The boy asked as she smiled and shook her head. "I'm not the one who just got thrown through a window." She replied, preparing to say something else before they heard whaling down the streets toward them. "Oh great, that's what we need. Amaury you and Carina get out of here, I'm gonna grab Sam and do the same. I'll meet you two back at the plant." Marcus exclaimed, running through the crowd into the bar as Amaury, who remained in a bit of a brain fog, grabbed Carina's hand instinctively and began to run down the street before cutting into an alley while behind them the other bar patrons scattered as well.

A few blocks away they stopped to catch their breath in the shadow of a large brick building, the two leaning up against the side as a police car drove by towards the scene of the fight. Obviously very much out of breath based on how hard he was panting, Amaury leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes completely unaware he still had Carina's hand in his, though the girl had noticed. With a red face, Carina nervously cleared her throat. "Umm, Amaury." She quietly stated, swinging their hand a bit to say what she had to say without physically doing so, causing the boy to not only let go but to step back in surprise, mortified that he had done that. His face darkened significantly as a result, much darker than hers as he took his hand with his other and looked down at the ground. "O-Oh, I-I'm sorry." He muttered as his eyes looked up to her, afraid to lift his head. "I, uh. I think we are safe now." He adds nervously as the girl giggles in response. "Good, because these were not my ideal jogging shoes." She replied, showing the flats that she had been wearing as Amaury smiled a little.

"Well this wasn't my ideal night either." He said, inspecting his ruined clothing and then the other side of the dark colony above them. "I'm sorry that all happened." Carina said sheepishly, holding her wrist and looking down at the ground as Amaury blinked. "What? No. It wasn't your fault." He said with a smile while looking back down at her, finding her looking back up to him with the same smile, both of their faces red. "C'mon, let's get back." He said, motioning down the street towards the plant, which could be seen several blocks away down an alley, to which she agreed and walked the sidewalk next to him.

"So what were you guys doing there anyway?" Carina eventually asked after a minute or two of silence, looking over at Amaury who still stared at the other side of the colony, deep in thought. He turned to look at her and blinked, having to think for a second to realize that she had asked him a question. "Oh, well…" He began to rub his neck nervously, trying his best to formulate an intelligent and well composed answer. "Marcus dragged me and Sam out for the night. I originally didn't want to go, but he told me 'Admiral Krupp's orders, don't defy the Admiral' and some other stuff." Amaury said, mocking Marcus' voice as he mentioned Krupp which turned out to be humorous as Carina laughed. "That does sound like something Marcus would do, to be honest. But, I'm glad you guys were there. Who knows how much of a pain those two would have been had it not been for you and Marcus. Oh, and Sam. Poor Sam." She trailed off, concerned for the drunken boy who had been carried home as Amaury laughed. "Yeah, he will be fine though. He's tough like the rest of the crew." He replied as she nodded, but now it was his turn to ask. "What about you? What were you doing there?" He asked, looking to her as she shrugged. "Well, I was supposed to be meeting Monty, but he didn't show up. He… I don't know…" She responded, but it was obvious that something was troubling her.

Amaury looked at her for a moment, then down at the intersection they were at, almost directly in front of home. "You can tell me you know. I'm not going to say anything. We are friends, and that's what friends do, right?" He asked smiling a bit as she stared at him, seeing now under the streetlight the bruises on his face and the dried blood where the glass had cut the side of his face. Frowning a bit, she nodded. "Yes, that is what friends do. I just… really needed tonight to be calm and normal. We have a lot of weight on our shoulders and on top of worrying about that Monty has been acting really strange recently, very distant and even cold. It's just not helping me calm down. I'm afraid, Amaury. I keep telling myself that everyone is scared, but it doesn't help much. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just have this horrible feeling in my stomach." She said, feeling embarrassed while nervously playing with the edge of her dress. She knew, like Amaury, that this was not going to be easy, and that it was very much a possibility that some of them would die in the process. Looking away as to not embarrass the girl, he took in what she was saying. So apparently it wasn't just him who felt Monty's demeanor change as of late, and it really wasn't just him who was afraid.

"I'm scared too, Carina. Like the rest of us I know what we are getting ourselves into, and that scares the shit out of me. But it has to be done. And honestly, there is nobody else I would rather be walking to this firestorm with than all of you guys. You all are my family. We will be okay." He stated, looking up to the factory in front of them as Carina turned to him instead. He was afraid too? She thought maybe the others might be, but not these A-Rank pilots. "Monty does seem a little off at the moment, I will agree. He is likely stressed like the rest of us. But I know that he is not going to let anything happen to you, so if you are scared, just remember that." He added looking at her from the corner of his eye, a small smile creeping over his face. Smiling back the girl nodded, her face tinged a bit red at his words. Did he really, truly consider all of them family, and did he really believe so strongly in them? "Thank you, Amaury." She replied finally, looking back to the road to draw attention away from her face. "Apparently neither will you." She joked, causing his face to darken now as he looked at her and laughed lightly. "Of course not." Amaury replied, nervously rubbing his neck as she giggled slightly. She looked forward at their home and fearing that Monty might be lurking around, made what she was about to do quick.

"Well, thank you for helping me." She thanked him, turning to walk away before she stopped and turned towards him and, with a red face, kissed his cheek before swiftly heading inside, hiding the dark red blush that rushed across her own cheeks while Amaury, himself the darkest color of red he had ever been, stood in shock at what just happened, unable to breathe as he watched her walk away. Did that really just happen? Did she really just kiss his cheek? Subconsciously he reached up and touched his face, feeling now the same feeling the rush of heat until he heard footsteps behind him, forcing him spin around towards Marcus and Sam, the later of which was still unconscious with one arm around Marcus' head; the smug look across his face making it clear that he had seen everything. But instead of tearing into him like he had assumed Marcus was going to do, he simply shook his head and walked up to Amaury, motioning for him to help carry the boys other arm on his shoulder, the continued towards the compound. "Women." He stated, bring Amaury to look at him, then down at the ground; a smile hidden on his face as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, women."


	5. Chapter 5: The Rest Of Their Lives

No more than five hours later the plan was pushed ahead of schedule, waking the crew from their sleep while the lights in the colony were still turned down to simulated night. Ordered to assemble for full deployment status, the men and women of Duality gathered in the same dining hall as they had twice now before. Most of the crew clearly was not awake, evident by those who rubbed their eyes and yawned, even a few which fell asleep sitting against the wall while waiting for the Admiral. Inseparable as always, Marcus and Amaury stood in the corner of the room while Sam sat leaning against his rucksack, still intoxicated to a degree. All three of them were sore and had visible bruised across their body, the most notable of which being the large bruise across Sam's cheek and Amaury's black eye and the aftermath of the scratches from the window glass. It had been a long time since he had been involved in such a large brawl, and a long time since he had taken such a beating; being thrown from a window was a first however and he couldn't say he particularly liked it.

"What do you think is going on?" Amaury questioned while his eyes shifted through the crowd of all one hundred and twenty of them, most of which conversed between themselves in their individual cliques but some could be seen checking their equipment or even eating something for an early breakfast. Their faces expressed the full plethora of emotions but everyone shared the same hint of anxiousness and uncertainty. "I'm not sure. It could just be a drill, but then again, this early for this kind of drill? It wouldn't make sense. No way, something is up." Marcus replied as Amaury nodded, looking down to check as Sam dry heaved a bit to himself. Pulling a bottle of water from his backpack the boy handed it down to his inebriated friend, breaking the seal on the cap to make it a little easier. "Better sober up, you don't want to vomit in front of the Admiral." He warned with a light laugh as Sam drank and bit and shook his head. "I'm never drinking again." He mumbled in reply while looking up to Marcus and Amaury, then past them as someone familiar approached.

"Well, you boys look like you had one hell of a night." Monty stated as the three's eyes shifted towards him. He too was fully dressed in their orange Fleetserv Pro uniforms as instructed, including Geoff and Carina. Instantly at the sight of the girl Amaury's eyes widened a bit, looking to her as she smiled and waved her hand sheepishly. "Hope you three are ready for this." He added as Marcus nodded and looked to Amaury and Sam, then back to Monty. "You bet we are. You've trained us well and we are ready to serve." The man replied, bringing a smirk to their Lieutenant's face. "Good. We will be running on a skeleton crew until we make it back to the colonies and I'll need you all on your A-game." His eyes shifted to Amaury, staring at him with such intent that it seemed like he was peering into the boy's soul. After it continued for a moment Amaury grew nervous, biting his cheek but unwilling to give up this little staring contest. Did he know what happened the night before, was this why he was acting like this? Nervously he swallowed before his eyes darted to Admiral Krupp and General Ishim who had appeared in the center of the crowded room, right in the heart of their loyal followers. Monty looked to them for a moment, then back to three boys, once again focused on Amaury. This time however he only stared briefly this time then turned his full attention back to the Admiral. "Let's see what the old man has for us." He instructed as Sam stood, drinking more water in an attempt to further flush the alcohol from his veins.

"My brothers and sisters," Krupp began to speak as his low voice commanded the room to absolute silence. "The time has come for Operation Duality to commence. An hour ago, at approximately 0521hrs, we received a transmission from our informant that the two Reclamation Bros ships were preparing to depart from their base a day ahead of schedule. About twenty minutes later we received confirmation on this, as the company itself contacted us requesting that Fleetserv meet them a day ahead of schedule. In order to meet that time, we are to depart immediately. The plan has not changed; it will proceed exactly as planned. We depart, we arrive at the rendezvous point, we dock to refuel the two hostile ships and then we seize them for ourselves along with all of the armament onboard. Once the two ships are in hand we will continue forward with the next step, which for the safety of all of us I had previously only disclosed to Monty and Geoff, who will be the mission commanders for this assignment." He stated as he motioned his hand to Geoff, who in his first public conversation with the crew, stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"We will immediately leave the scene of the hijacking as soon as we are capable, heading into deep space outside of Federal patrol and proximity sensor range. At that point our fuel tender, the _Tortuga_ , will return back here to Dresden. Once we are sure that the location of our fleet is safe from Federal intervention, the _Tortuga_ will return to the fleet with the rest of engineering and maintenance crews and from there we will refit the mobile suits, preparing them for our strike." Geoff stated as he turned to Carina. "1st Lieutenant Carina Hughes will be in charge of making this all possible. Once the refit process goes live, she will be in charge of anything and everything to do with the ships, the mobile suits, the weapons; everything. If she asks you to do something, do it; regardless of what it is." Amaury's eyebrows rose upon hearing this, taken by surprise. Carina had not mentioned any of this to him the last few times they had talked, though he was not surprise. Over the past few weeks she had really blossomed into the tech-guru that their team so desperately needed, though from what she had told him she was basically born for this, being the daughter of two scientists who helped pioneer mobile suit research nearly thirty five years ago. Despite this announcement she still held the same look of uncertainty as the rest of them and although invited to speak, chose instead to simply wave and nod.

"With that being said, let's get going. Everyone is to act as normal. We will be walking the few blocks over to the docks and will assemble outside of Dock 14-E. Make sure to act like a maintenance crew, no talk of anything but our jobs." Geoff ordered as everyone began to pick up their things, stopping once the Admiral raised his hands for silence once more. He looked around the room at all of those he had under his command, looking at every single face individually as he made his spin around. "Our futures depend on you brave men and women; you who dare strike out against those who oppress and control us, and those who threaten the future of all of mankind." His eyes softened a bit, looking up to Monty and then Geoff. "I know you all can do this, and I would rather send nobody else but you fine lot. Come back to us all in one piece. We will be waiting." With that he saluted the whole crowd once more; the resounding noise of their boots clacking together in return could have shaken the building. "For Zeon!" He shouted as every mouth in the room returned the shout before all beginning to make their way to the door to depart on their grand journey.

Walking from the main room towards the front door of the water plant they passed several armed sentries, each of which saluted them as they walked by. They knew that these brave men and women went forward for them and their futures. Reaching the front door, a sentry checked before releasing a group of the disguised soldiers a handful of a time, all destined for the same location but not wanting such a large mass of people to leave from the facility all at once. As they gathered in the main hall Amaury spotted Carina talking to one of her friends and decided to approach her, sneaking away from Marcus and Sam, the former of which was helping the boy by carrying his heavy backpack. He walked carefully up to her, clearing his throat quietly, unsure what exactly he wished to say, and hoping whatever it was didn't come out wrong. Hearing him approach however the girl waved off her friend with a smile, watching here leave as part of the next group to leave the plant. "Hey!" She cheerfully exclaimed as the boy approached, his backwards Fleetserv Pro hat helping hide his unruly bed-hair.

"Hey, Carina." He replied back, looking around to see if he could spot Monty in the crowd, though he was rather sure that he had gone ahead with the first batch of crew members. "Congratulations on the promotion, 1st Lieutenant." He hummed with a smile while she blushed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, that's a thing." She replied, her eyes looking back to his. "I just found out myself, last night after we got back. It's really not a big deal though." Her attempt to downplay her accomplishments caused him to shake his head in protest. "Not a big deal? Come on now. It's a _huge_ deal!" He joked, looking back to the door as they called the next group to proceed down the street, not wanting to be left behind. "We'll have to celebrate when we get back. Hopefully this time without any creeps or brawls." His eyes returned back to her with a sincere smile, a sentiment reflected back by a smile of her own, still harboring the same blush across her freckled face.

"Yeah, we don't want anyone to beat you up again." The girl replied as she giggled a bit, Amaury rolling his eyes playfully. "They didn't beat me up that bad. And to be fair, me and Marcus won." Crossing her arms she looked up to his black eye with a concerned half-smile, her fingers twitching a bit while fighting the sudden urge to reach up and touch the bruise on his face; something she had become used to doing while taking care of her younger brothers. "Yeah, it sure seems it." Her vision darted to the doors as they opened again and knowing Amaury's group was next to go, based on their order towards the door, motioned behind him. "You're up Amaury." She hummed, causing the boy to look back at the door as well and nod. It was time. "Alright, well I'll see you down there." He smiled back, taking a step towards the door right as she spoke again.

"Wait, Amaury." She began, reaching out and grabbing his sleeve. They boy stopped instantly as he felt her hand grab his clothing, turning his head to the side to see her vision down at his boots, the redness across her face still lingering. "I-I'm, err… I'm sorry about last night." She said quietly, trying to keep any listening ears from hearing what she had to say as Amaury blinked, confused. Did she mean the kiss? His face darkened without him knowing as his silence led her to believe he didn't know what she meant. "You know… when we were saying good-" Carina tried to explain before he spoke over her, subconsciously afraid to hear her say it. "Don't apologize." His words surprised her as she looked up to him, biting her lip nervously, unsure what to say. His unexpected response coupled with his sincere smile deepened her blush. "And don't worry; I won't say anything to Monty." He added quietly as they stared at each other, the boy looking to see that his friends waited at the door for him, Marcus staring with a grin of his own. Looking past Amaury and knowing their little conversation was delaying their arrival at the dockyard, she looked back up to the boy who's sleeve she still grabbed and smiled, releasing finally after what seemed like an eternity. "Thank you." She softly replied and motioned for him to go along with his friends. This was not all of what she intended to say, but for now it would have to do. Silently she watched the boy leave the plant and out into the street, waiting for his form to disappear behind the heavy steel doors before returning to her own friends, who all stared and giggled at Carina. "What?" She asked, embarrassingly picking up her own bag as they waited for their turn to move forward.

Walking away from the plant the boy's mind continued to drift. To him it did not seem like everything Carina wished to say was said, leaving many questions unanswered. If she was going to kiss his cheek, why apologize for it? It couldn't have been an accident, she surely wasn't intoxicated. What could it have been? "Can I have three guesses what that was about?" Marcus interrupted his thoughts as they continued to make their way down the street, Amaury motioning for Sam's bag to carry; a payment for making the boys wait for him. "No, you may not." He replied as he shouldered the second bag on his back, looking away from his friend and back at the road they walked on, barely illuminated with street lights. "Oh come on man, are you seriously still going to deny that she's into you?" Marcus asked loudly as Amaury's eyes immediately shot back to his, staring him down to quiet his voice. It was likely that quite a few people had just seen their little and he did not intend to draw any more attention to it than need be. Seeing the ferocity his friend's glare, he put his hands up in the air a bit, signifying that he would not say anything further, all while Sam looked at the two of them.

"Wait… did I miss something last night?" He asked, staring at Amaury's face, which still had not returned to its normal color. "Maybe if you knew how to hold your alcohol a little better you would remember! I mean, come on Sam. What kind of college freshman can't drink more than five beers?!" Marcus boomed over the boy who visibly recoiled from the sound, his head pounding from the night before still. Amaury rolled his eyes, shaking his head with an exhausted sigh. It was hard sometimes to image that his life really did depend on these two friends of his.

Approaching the end of the colony and with the dockyard in sight the boys reeled in their behavior, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves or the crew. The docks and entry points were heavily controlled by the Port Authority; a division of the Federal Security Services that specialized in maintaining control of cargo coming in and going out of the colonies, including personnel. In front of the security checkpoint leading into the inner workings of the colony walls Amaury spotted the rest of their crew, standing out from others waiting to proceed into the docks due to their orange Fleetserv Pro jumpsuits and hats. Several armed Port Authority guards walked about, unsuspiciously monitoring their posts. A few could be seen in the distance staring at the Fleetserv crew, though Amaury easily assumed they were simply checking out the women of the crew, based on their sneering and laughter.

"Hey, over here guys. Fall in." Geoff waved from a distance, bringing the boys right to him, face to face. Amaury had personally not had very many encounters with this man before, but the few he did would leave him to believe that this Geoff was a reasonable man who stood out from Monty's sometimes oppressive attitude, despite the fact that the two of them were close friends. "Glad you guys made it. We just have to wait for the last two groups and then we will be on our way." Geoff began, pointing to the entrance to Dock 14-D, displayed in large letters over the entrance in the colony wall. "Monty is already inside with the pre-flight crew making sure everything is good-to-go. Should be any moment now until he returns." Geoff added, turning back to the boys as Marcus walked a little closer to the man who must have easily been in his late thirties or early forties. "Let me ask you something then _Captain,_ " Marcus began to ask, playing off of the fact that Geoff would be captain of one of the two ships should they be successful, "Do you really think we will be successful?" He asked as Geoff stared at him for a moment, and then turned back to the dock entrance again, just as both Monty and the last of the crew arrived at the entrance. "Absolutely."

Waiting for everyone to approach and under the watchful eye of the Port Authority, Monty stood on a box and waved everyone in. "Gather in everyone, gather around." He called out as the large group of one hundred and nineteen gathered around their leader, looking up to him as smiled, his face partially hidden by a shadow cast by his orange Fleetserv ball cap. "I just want to congratulate us on the launch of our new company, Fleetserv Pro. We have worked so hard to get here and this will prove that all of that work has not been for nothing. With us on watch, no freighter will go unfueled, no naval vessel unrepaired. We will be the best there is." He stated in an attempt to improve company morale and turning to the entrance to the dock once more, looked up at the guards who simply shook their heads at the commotion this small time shipping tender was causing. With a smirk, entertained by the fact that these Port Authority guards had no idea of what was to come, he turned back to his crew and smiled to them. "Once we walk through that tunnel, it will be the first day of the rest of our lives. Now I ask, are you ready?" He asked as a bunch of the crew replied with cheering, having bought into the fake rally by their illustrious leader. Jumping down from the box he waved the crew to follow as he began down the tunnel and into the dock, the Port Authority logging each person that entered, real name or fake. It didn't matter in the long run; success or fail, they were criminals. They all knew this fact when they took accepted this calling and joined The Movement.

The further they descended down into the dock the lighter the artificial gravity became and eventually they found themselves floating instead of walking on their feet, the _Tortuga_ now visible through the bulkheads as they made their way towards the dry dock. She truly was a modified Columbus-Class fuel freighter painted blaze orange; locked down in an airtight launch bay, the massive words Fleetserv Pro painted on the side. While the sight was impressive to the crew, Amaury's biggest interest was in this feeling of weightlessness. His feet floated freely from the deck below as he pushed himself along, finding himself unhappy with every passing second he was trapped in the service corridor. The sounds of the crew's initial impression at the sight of the _Tortuga_ as a whole filled the air as they entered the open space around the ship as she was finally visible in all her glory, but the boy's only interest was breaking free. Floating quickly out of the service tunnel he dropped his bags in place and pushed himself into the open space of the air dock around the ship. He immediately floated above everyone else, taking it slowly at first since he had never before experienced such a feeling.

"This is… amazing." He whispered, ascending freely towards the top of the _Tortuga_. In a spinning motion he looked around at everyone else, who seemed to just go about their business as usual. Had they experienced this feeling before? Having never left Dresden, he had spent his whole life under the burden of gravity, chained to the floor. And on top of that since all of the Side 3 colonies were Closed-Type colonies possessing no major glass windows like the others, he had never seen space before with his own eyes. The simulations could have never prepared him for just what exactly this would feel like, nor for the sight he would behold as he looked out of the clear section of the large dry dock doors, the look of amazement evident across his features to even those below.

"What is he doing?" Sam asked, using his hand to protect his eyes from the bright overhead lights of the dry dock while looking up at Amaury, now a hundred yards into the space above the ship, slowly drifting. "He has never experienced this before." Marcus answered, grinning as Amaury stared through the clear section of the dry dock door, watching straight out into the never ending expanse of space. Hearing their conversation, Carina looked up and saw the boy floating, the look on his face bring a smile to her own. "He looks so happy." She stated to Marcus who looked to her, then back to his friend. He knew that Amaury had never left Dresden, so he had assumed this was his first time in space. "Yeah, he really does." He replied, turning to the ship as Monty motioned for everyone to board the ship. "Let's go guys; we've got a schedule to keep!" Monty called out with a booming laugh, looking to Carina and then tracing her vision up to boy floating above him.

"Amaury, get down here; you don't want to get sucked out of the lock when we leave you here!" He joked as the boy snapped out of his cosmic gaze and looked down at his captain, staring for a second before he agreed with nod. Reaching the roof of the hanger he pushed off of the metal structural beam at the top, heading back towards the _Tortuga_ at a faster rate than he had climbed to the top. Spotting his friends staring at him, he flipped around so that his feet would hit the ground and landed between all of them. He looked up to Marcus, Sam and Carina and smiled, a little embarrassed at his childish behavior. "Sorry, I've never seen or felt, well… any of this." He admitted while looking back into space as Marcus grinned and floated passed him, patting his shoulder in the process. "Well, you will see plenty of it soon. But for now, let's go kid. Destiny waits for no man." He stated as both he and Sam floated towards the ship, Sam grabbing both his bag and Amaury's on his way past. Amaury looked over to Carina who still watched his amazement, giggling as he blushed from embarrassment.

"C'mon Amaury." She urged him gently as she placed a hand on his shoulder, using it to push off towards the ship, looking back to make sure he was following. After a brief moment he did follow, slowly coming to a stop as he gripped a grab bar to the side of the door to slow himself and moved inside. Stepping onboard the _Tortuga_ , he looked around at all of their friends and crewmen with a smile as the doors closed loudly behind him. The engine of the ship ignited, shaking the ship violently for a brief moment, but evened out and dulled down until it was little more than a calm hum echoing throughout the steel walls of the ship. The dry dock crew donned their helmets and held onto the outside walls as the large blast door at the end opened, draining out all oxygen and giving the ship a clear path out into space. "Fleetserv Pro _Tortuga_ , you are clear for launch." Federal flight control broadcast the overhead radio and after only a few seconds their ship lifted off of the deck and slowly crept forward towards space, revealing now the sun, Earth, the moon and all the other colonies of Side 3.

"Fleetserv Pro _Tortuga_ , you are clear of the dock and are green-lighted for departure. Have a safe journey. Port Authority 701: Out." Flight control finished as they began to accelerate away from Dresden and adjusted their heading towards the old Side 5 shoal zone, all while the crew stared out at their home as it grew smaller the further away they traveled. With each kilometer the feeling in the boy's heart grew stronger; he couldn't believe the day had finally come. He was leaving Dresden for the first time in his life, and they really were about to start their journey to set their people free. This really was the first day of the rest of their lives.


	6. Chapter 6: The Shoal Zone

The journey to the old Side 5 Shoal Zone would take the crew on a rather uneventful flight straight towards the outer reaches of the Earth Sphere; around three standard days from their home at Side 3. During the journey they would be free to do as they wished, though this would prove to be more of a burden than a freedom while confined to the _Tortuga_. There wasn't much left to be done in preparation for Duality, but by the end of the first full day in flight it was all completed. The assignments were handed out in advance, and the plan was relatively simple, just as it had been described before. They would simultaneously dock with both of the Reclamation Bros ship and begin the refueling process while two infiltration crews make their way secretly into both ships, placing themselves in strategic locations.

Once in position, all teams would launch their strike, seizing control of both ships. At the same time two groups of pilots would split up and head into the ship, fighting their way through any remaining resistance to the hangers where their goal will be to prevent activation of any defensive mobile suits in the Reclamation Bro's arsenal and if need be, commandeer and respond to any mobile suit threats. Amaury would be included in this part of the raid along with Marcus and Sam under Geoff's leadership while Monty would be taking three other pilots and heading into the other ship. In preparation for these boarding actions the pilots were assigned three infiltrator escorts; Movement soldiers who had been trained specifically for small arms combat in space and were considered to be commandos amongst the regular army forces. They had provided the pilots with the essentials they would need to complete their mission, briefly trained them with their weapons and made sure that, should it come down to it, they could defend themselves.

On the second day and in preparation for their mission the three inseparable friends donned their equipment and made sure it fit correctly. Finding a mostly unused storage room in the back of the _Tortuga_ , which had also become their bunkroom for the journey due to the shortage of beds for the whole crew, they adjusted and toyed with their equipment. Unable to acquire truly appropriate equipment for the task at hand their uniforms would be a bit strange, at least for the time being. Comprised of standard civilian space flight suits as opposed to those used by the military services, they were each issued a ballistic vest to help protect them from the upcoming combat as well as a sidearm conveniently stowed away in a holster that was strapped to each of their right thighs. "Do you think we will actually need to use these?" Sam questioned out loud between the three of them as they reviewed their equipment, aiming his firearm at the ground with his hand positioning a clear sign that he had not previously handled a firearm. Reaching over, Marcus calmly took the handgun from his friend, though it was unloaded, and showed him the correct placement of his hands. "Better to have it and not need it." Marcus replied, handing the weapon back to Sam so that he may practice before turning to Amaury, who looked down at the hand gun in his hands with a blank stare.

"What about you Amaury, any questions?" He asked, walking towards the boy who looked up to him. Marcus has been involved with a police force somewhere in Side 3 prior to the Dresden incident, so it made sense that he would be privately instructing the two of them on handling such a weapon. After a brief moment, the boy shook his head, holstering the weapon back into its place and clicking the retention hood back into place. "I've used one before. Different model, same concept." His eyes looked down to the vest on his torso, adjusting the straps on his shoulders until it fit just right, before his attention dropped to his boots. The Zeon green space suits they had been given fit more like a 'onesie' sleeping garment as the only parts of the suit where skin were exposed were the hands and head from the neck up, and as such the only way to wear the suit was with the user's boots bloused. Gloves were optional, but the required helmet was required and was the only semi-advanced part of the design. When worn the helmet would magnetically seal to the collar of the suit creating an airtight seal that could be used to in the vacuum of space for a limited amount of time, though it was primarily intended for use inside of a ship and designed for emergency air deprived situations only.

"I just hope these antiquated suits hold up, though I guess we really shouldn't be spending any time in the void of space." Amaury replied, picking the helmet up off of the crate in front of him. It was heavier than expected but was still quite light compared to some helmets he had felt before, particularly and old construction helmet he played with as a kid. "Well, don't eject from your mobile suit and you'll be fine." Sam joked while picking up his own helmet, watching as Amaury retracted the face visor and looked up at it, trying to figure out how to put it back down. Pinching his finger once in the mechanism before figuring it out he looked back to Sam and shook his head, pulling the helmet from his head and holding it tucked under his arm. "I don't plan on it." He replied in a matter-of-fact manner and prepared to say something else, but stopped as his ears began to ring loudly, raising one hand to his ear in an attempt to stop the ringing. Noticing the boy's painful wince Marcus placed his own helmet down and walked towards the boy. "What's wrong?" He asked as the ringing continued, the boy looking up to his friend. His ears had rung like this quite a few times since he joined The Movement two months prior and he was still unsure of what it could be. It was not a normal ringing that he had ever experienced before; it was more intense and almost directional to a certain location around him, this time being the door they used to enter and exit their makeshift bunk room.

"I don't know, I just have this weird ringing in my ears. I keep getting it, and…" He stopped, looking around the room to make sure that nobody else had come in the room. Seeing no one else he cleared his throat and looked to his friends. He wasn't exactly sure if what he was going to say was going to sound insane or not. "I've been having these weird… feelings." He began, looking down to his boots as Marcus immediately grinned wide. "Well, I mean, if a girl like Carina was into me as much as she is into you, I would have these kinds of weird _feelings_ as well!" Marcus immediately replied without any opportunity to for Amaury to explain as Sam immediately bursting into laughter; Amaury's face darkened as red as it could possibly go.

"What?!" Amaury immediately questioned as he pushed Marcus back a few steps while he continued to laugh heartedly and without interruption. "T-that's not what I-I mean…" Amaury stuttered, crossing his arms while a displeased look crept over his face. His eyes drifted to the corner of the room as he waited impatiently for the boys to stop laughing and his anger to subside before continuing. "I'm being serious you fucking dickheads… I can't explain it but something is happening to me. The ringing in my ears, and… and during our fight the other day things just slowed… down." The last words felt rather silly leaving his mouth, but it was the best example he could offer as to what had actually occurred. "Slowed down?" Sam questioned, scratching his head in confusion. "You mean like it was some kind of movie? Or game? Are you some kind of hero Amaury?" Sam joked with a laugh as Marcus looked at him, then back to Amaury, a somewhat concerned look on his face. "The ringing in your ears, do you feel it all the time?" He asked as Amaury rolled his eyes to Sam's joke and shook his head. "No, only sometimes." He replied, thinking about all of the times it had happened and about his surroundings at those times. "Usually around people. And the time-slowing… thing… only happened twice; once during the bar fight two days ago, and then right afterwards, when…" He stopped, not wanting to admit when the second time it had occurred was to save him any more ridicule. "It's just weird." He cut himself off, turning to his head to look at the entrance to the storeroom they were secluded in, sensing something else now. Why were these strange things happening to him? Watching how the boy's eyes darted directly to the bulkhead to the room Marcus sighed. "I think you are just getting stressed out about the mission." He replied while patting the boy roughly on his back in an attempt to relieve the boys trouble with a solution, though that was not what Amaury wanted to hear and it was far from what he believed was the truth.

"Maybe you are right." He agreed with him nevertheless, running his hand through his hair as he looked down to the floor of their room. It couldn't be just stress. These things were not just his mind, they were actually happening, and it seemed that they were only happening to him.

Standing in the hall just on the other side of the wall from the boy's room without their knowledge, Carina listened in on their conversation. What had started as the simple task of coming to tell the three that it was time for dinner had accidentally turned into an invasion of their privacy, and she felt horrible for doing so. Multiple times she told her herself that she should have interrupted and spoke before she had heard too much, but when Marcus teased Amaury about his feelings, her face darkened and body froze. Biting her lip she nervously held her breath while her heart pounded, though she was not sure if she knew exactly why. Why would Marcus say that, and why was this even being discussed? Was she some kind of joke to them? She scowled, unhappy that they were talking about her in such a way, but as Amaury spoke her expression softened, knowing, or hoping at least, that he wouldn't be involved in some sort of joke like this. His conversation path pulled away from her and although she was relieved, she still questioned why Marcus brought it up. Soon though what Amaury was talking about became her primary concern, as she too had noticed him acting weird the past few days and had become curious as to why.

Hearing him mention the ringing in his ears and slowing time her eyes widened in surprise; having been a woman of science and mechanical facts, it made no sense to her. Sure, she knew about the Newtypes just as everyone else had at this point in time and Monty had several times stated his belief that his boy was a Newtype, but slowing time? That wasn't what any research of Newtypes showed to be possible. Maybe there was something wrong with him; maybe he really was stressed out. She certainly knew she was, and if that were the case, her actions the past few days surely did not help him. Subconsciously she placed her hand over her heart and frowned. It was never her intention to toy with Amaury's feelings, though looking back it seemed as if it could be interpreted that way. With everything about to all happen at once, the last thing he needed to have on his mind was what was going on between them. But what was going on between them exactly? She couldn't deny that she felt some kind of weird… _thing_ when thinking about the boy, but she was unsure what it really was, and was this _thing_ worth making him feel like this? Shaking her head in an attempt to knock loose the thoughts plaguing her mind she again tried to focus on their conversation before hearing the sound of footsteps towards where she stood. Quickly sliding down the hall away from the door she continued to listen as best as she could, leaving completely as the sound of Marcus' voice drew near the hallway, forcing her to abandon her spying.

"I am right. I can't remember the last time I was god damn wrong." Marcus boomed as he walked towards the bulkhead between their room and the hallway, stripping his gear from his body and tossing it to the floor. Free of his vest and weapon he turned back and rubbed his neck, a little stiff from wearing the vest so long. "Now, let's go get some dinner. Tomorrow is a big day, make or break, and I can't have you two malnourished." Marcus jokingly teased, causing both of the other boys to roll their eyes, turning to each other and then to Marcus. "Who put him in charge? I never agreed to follow him." Sam questioned, holding his hands behind his head as both he and Amaury followed Marcus from the room and down the hall to where the ship's mess hall was.

"It certainly wasn't me." Amaury added as they rounded a corner to another hallway, carefully jumping over Sam and Marcus. Since the _Tortuga_ was not a particularly new ship, the artificial gravity generators onboard did not work to their full potential; a fact that Amaury had purposely abused over the last few days to try and catch as much of the feeling of space as possible. Landing to his feet he now lead their little pack and jokingly used both hands to flip Marcus and Sam the bird at the same time, then turned to run from the two who now chased after him down the hallways of the ship. Crossing an intersection of hallways as he laughed, Amaury was surprised as from the corner of his eye spotted Carina coming towards him at a high speed, trying to flee from her listening post outside of their room. Spotting the boy and unable to stop herself, she gasped. "Amaury, watch-" She attempted to warn him as she impacted into him; sure she was going to slam him harshly into the metal wall. However, much to the surprise of both of them, the boy's instinct was to turn his back against the wall, bracing the girl in his arms as they both hit into the wall.

Floating only briefly in space before their feet drifted to the ground they both made eye contact, shocked at what this turn of the corner held in store for both of them and unsure what to say. His hands had wrapped around to her back and he now stared into her eyes before both of them blushed dark red, stepped back from each other and looked away, deeply embarrassed. "I-I'm sorry…" Amaury immediately apologized as was accustomed to the boy; apologizing first despite his own innocence. Carina immediately looked back up to him, her green eyes immediately seeking out and finding his as she shook her head. "No, no it's not your fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." She objected, rubbing her arm as she turned to her side, seeing Marcus and Sam floating down the hallway towards them. "Hey Carina!" Sam called out as he waved, the blushing girl waving back while Marcus landed next to Amaury and slugged him the arm, causing the boy to wince and grunt in pain. "That's for flipping us off!" Marcus justified out loud, laughing as Amaury grimaced and rubbed his arm, looking away to try and hide the blush across his cheeks. Once Marcus was done laughing he placed his hands on his belt and looked to the girl, noticing the blush on her cheeks, then that same exact blush across Amaury's.

"Oh? Did we interrupt something?" He asked as both of them shook their heads simultaneously, looked at each other and then down at the ground, even more embarrassed. Marcus laughed again, shaking his head as he walked past the two of them, his stomach grumbling as he did so. "You two kill me, you know that?" He asked sarcastically while continuing his walk towards the mess hall. "Let's go you three, I don't want scraps!" He boomed with another laugh as Sam agreed and followed, leaving just the two in silence for a moment before Amaury cleared his throat and looked back up to the girl. "So, what, uh… what were you doing down here?" He asked, knowing that it wasn't a well-traveled part of the ship, bringing her eyes back to his. "Well, I was coming to get you guys for dinner, but I see you already are heading up there, so…" She trailed off, looking away as if by looks alone he could tell that she had been listening to their conversation.

"Oh, well thank you. I am pretty hungry." Amaury replied with a smile, looking down the hallway to where his friends had just disappeared, then back to the girl who seemed to still harbor the same embarrassed look on her face throughout the conversation. "What about you? Why don't you join us? You must be hungry as well." He asked as his own stomach growled, causing him to place a hand over it in an effort to calm it. It had been quite a while since he had ate, and it would probably be best if he did eat. Carina shook her head and brushed a loose hair from her face as she thought about her answer carefully. She had not been particularly hungry, mostly due to all of the stress from the weight placed onto her shoulders. "No, I'm not really hungry. You go ahead though; I will just eat something later." She replied, though the boy could clearly see on her face that the issue was much more than the lack of an appetite. "Are you sure? I mean… is everything okay?" He questioned sheepishly, speaking quietly to help ward of any listening ears, but immediately she shook her head.

"I'm okay, really I am." Carina insisted with a smile, one hand nervously gripping the other behind her back. "But you should eat. Tomorrow is a big day, you need to be ready. I will talk to you soon, okay?" Slowly she began to walk away while she maintained eye contact with the boy before finally waving goodbye. "Bye, Amaury." She hummed in an attempt to sound cheery before disappearing on her own path into the bowels of the ship, looking back to see the boy silently smile and wave, though it seemed half-hearted.

Once out of sight of Amaury she stopped and leaned up against a wall, grabbing her chest. She didn't like lying to Amaury; everything wasn't fine. Although he had tried to reassure her that everything would be okay back on Dresden, she still held her doubts about the success of their mission, and on top of it all Monty still continued to be of no reassurance. She thought, since they were together in some form and had expressed some sort of caring towards each other that Monty would be the one offering this attempted comfort, not Amaury. Though, in her head, the words seemed to mean more coming from Amaury than they would have from Monty, who always had this smug demeanor. Adding to that fact she couldn't deny that since their little collision her heart raced nonstop and her cheeks remained flushed red. Why? It was just an accident and a brief conversation, why was this her reaction? Was it because of the way he caught her to protect her from hitting the wall? His response was so fast. How was it possible? And why was it that she could still feel his hands on her, despite that he no longer held onto her? Just the thought was enough for her face to darken again. Hearing Amaury continuing on to the mess hall she made sure to wait for him to be clear of the hall before releasing a heavy sigh.

Why were these thoughts what she was worried about on the eve of Duality when she should be focusing on more important matters? She and her team were responsible not only for the maintenance of their soon-to-be fleet but also with the survival of everyone out here in space; whether it is by making sure their air filtration doesn't falter or ensuring that their mobile suits can fight. The whole mission rested on the shoulders of maintenance division, and so did her friends' lives. Finding the secluded hallway a suitable place to sit and think she slid to a sitting position and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around to hold them there. Maybe she should really have joined them for dinner after all. Then she wouldn't be left sifting through these thoughts.

The next morning the entire crew of the _Tortuga_ was placed onto a General Quarters standby in preparation of the rendezvous with the Reclamation Pros vessels, bringing all of the preparation and planning to life. Assigned into two task forces of forty five men each, thirty eight would focus on seizing the vessel while seven were to proceed to the mobile suit hangers. The remaining thirty personnel, mostly Carina and her team of engineers along with some flight personnel and medical staff, would remain on the _Tortuga_ in wait of the all clear signal. Scrambling to gear up at the sound of the General Quarters alarm, the boys donned their suits and equipment and moved towards the mess hall of the ship once more for a brief meeting prior to the mission start. "Oh man, I can't believe this is it. I can't believe that after months of training we are finally going to see some action!" Sam called out in excitement as he pulled his helmet onto his head, the visor still open so that he could talk as Marcus shook his head.

"Don't get too excited; if you get killed before you even get in the air, you'll be nothing more than human debris floating through space!" Marcus joked, pushing Sam into the wall with his signature pompous laugh before turning to Amaury who was ahead of them a bit. "You too Amaury, try and stay alive." The boy looked back to his friends, staring at them and answering with little more than a nod before looking forward again. He appreciated Marcus' attempt to lighten the mood, but now with reality closing in on them he found it hard to do so. Nobody knew what lay in wait for them and even though they were outnumbering the Reclamation Bros crew three to one with the boarding parties alone, anything could happen and go wrong; ending the movement before it even begins. Rounding the corner into the mess hall the three of them were shocked to see that they were the last to arrive, more than likely because of the location they had chosen as their quarters, but that didn't stop Monty's scowl. "Well, it sure is nice of you three to join us." He scolded as several in the crowd laughed, staring at the three as they mixed into the large group of Movement members. Amaury's eyes scanned the group, who all appeared ready to make their move. Those assigned to the boarding action were all geared and ready to spring their trap, armed with assault rifles and submachine guns of various design and caliber, while a few remained dressed in their Fleetserv Pro suits to act as a distraction and contact with the Reclamation Bros fleet.

"As you can tell from looking outside, we are entering the Shoal Zone; a massive debris field left from the Battle of Loum, thirty two years ago." Monty began, pointing to a window in the far side of the mess hall, debris visible floating aimlessly outside. "This is the designated meeting point to refuel the Reclamation Bros ships. We expect them to be here within the next two hours, so while there is still some time left before Duality begins, we will remain ready to roll, just in case." Monty placed his hands on his hips as he looked out at his subordinates, emotionless. Usually his face held some kind of sarcastic grin so it was safe to assume that he too felt the same pressure as the rest of them. "The plan has not changed; infiltrators will enter the enemy vessels via the refueling line maintenance bulkheads and make their way to their designated target points while the pilots wait onboard the _Tortuga_. Once all infiltrator squads are in place, we will disable the enemy's ship controls by hacking into their system and launch our attack. Primary points of control will be the bridge, engine rooms and weapon hardpoint locations; I do not want those beam turrets firing on the _Tortuga_ , understood?" Monty asked as the infiltrators in the room all nodded and acknowledged with some sort of martial grunting noise.

"And pilots, I don't want any mobile suits breaking loose. You guys will need to make it to the hangers fast once the operation begins; your guides know the way. Follow them, let them dish out the majority of the punishment, and only get involved with the fighting if you must. Every life on board my ship is precious, and for each of you that die, Krupp will have my ass ten times as hard." Although he already knew the importance of his presence on the enemy ship to some degree, hearing Monty repeat it really drove the nail home; a mobile suit could very easily destroy the unarmored fueling ship, and that couldn't be allowed to happen. With a deep breath Monty sighed, looking out the window at the shoals. "Well, everyone get to your positions on the correct side of the ship and just standby. Remember, this operation is the key to The Movement's success. It all rests on us now. We will be operating on channel 107.4, so stay tuned in. Nobody is to make a move until told to do so. Dismissed." The man commanded as he donned his own helmet and saluted the crowd, all of which were eager to salute back before scrambling to their designated staging point.

Assigned to the first task force, the boys' target would be the ship that would up against the left side of the _Tortuga_. Their entry point would be from the reserve air lock between the two ships which would be cracked open by their infiltrator bodyguards once the trap was sprung. From there they would have a decently clear and straight path to the heart of the ship and designated target; the hanger. Making their way across their own ship, Amaury's eyes remained locked forward, preparing himself mentally for what was about to happen while his heart raced in his chest. People, regardless of the side they stood on, were about to die, and he only hoped that it would be minimal on their end. These people, though he might not know all of their names or where they were from, were his family now, and a family was something that needed to be protected, no matter the cost.

"Alright boys, there it is." Marcus, the self-proclaimed leader of the trio pointed towards the docking hatch at the end of a long hallway, infiltrators standing by at the door in preparation for the assault. At the end they could see their team leader Geoff, standing out from the others with his unique helmet. A souvenir brought from his days with the Federation, it was green and featured a Tiger's teeth and eyes painted across it so that the eyes faced forward, just as pilots during the Second World War had done to the noses of their planes. He looked up to them and waved for them to come join him at the back of the line of soldiers, checking his watch as he did so. Looking to each other the boys nodded in agreement and began to move towards him, stopping as from a side hallway stepped out Carina, ready with her own space suit on. She had been making rounds around the ship and wishing luck to everyone going aboard the enemy vessels, feeling that it was her responsibility as head of the maintenance team. "Hey guys!" She called out as the three floated to a stop on their feet in front of her.

"Hello Miss Carina, out for a walk I see." Marcus replied jokingly as the girl laughed a bit before turning to the group amassed at the end of the hall, then back to her friends. "Well, you know me, just wishing everybody good luck before they go aboard." Her eyes shifted between the three of them, resting on Sam's as he spoke. "We don't need luck; we are Monty's best pilots after all." He boasted as Marcus smirked and shook his head. "Yeah, Sam doesn't need luck; he's gonna die first." Marcus replied with a booming laugh as he roughly patted the displeased Sam on the back. Carina shook her head with a small grin, not really sure how to take the slightly grim sense of humor as she shifted her gaze towards Amaury, who still remained silent, staring blankly at her before smiling softly.

"We will be okay, don't worry about us." Amaury replied, knowing the true reason she was out wishing everyone good luck. Knowing that he understood her brought her first true smile of the day to the girl as opposed to the forced smile she had harbored all day. "I know." She in turn replied, looking to Marcus and Sam then again back to Amaury. "Just please stay safe. I'll be waiting at the dinner table for all of you tonight." Her words carried more than just a lighthearted message, and though he was unsure if Marcus and Sam understood, the true message stood out loud and clear in the boy's mind. "We will be there." Amaury replied softly to a smiling Carina who waved to the three and continued on her task. Amaury's eyes followed her until she could no longer be seen before returning to Marcus, who smirked and watched his friend. Surprisingly enough, again Marcus declined to say anything, simply grinning before motioning his head towards the end of the hallway once more.

"C'mon, let's get ready." He instructed as the three boys finally made their way to Geoff and the rest of their team. "Well guys, the day is finally here." The man stated to the three as they nodded, Amaury finally placing his helmet onto his head and opening the visor. "I hope you've all prepared yourself for what has to be done." He added from the shark's mouth, turning back to the window on the bulkhead as his eyes followed pieces of identifiable debris floating outside of their window. "As ready as we ever will be." Sam added, sounding a tad bit nervous, causing Geoff to grin. "Don't worry. We will make it through. I've been in worse situations with fewer resources." He reassured them as the _Tortuga_ proceeded further into the shoal zone.

Reaching their destination in the heart of the shoal zone a half hour later, the ship reduced thrust to zero and floated amongst the debris, giving most of the crew their first glimpse at the destruction the One Year War had caused in space. Countless scrapped Zeon mobile suits and several space cruisers from both sides could be made out, as well as parts of what the crew had assumed were colonies, tragically caught in the crossfire of the two armies. Some of the suits even appeared to be salvageable, though it would be unknown of their functionality having floated here aimlessly for thirty years; their reactors likely having burned out ages ago from the lack of maintenance. Occasionally debris banged against the hull of the ship, causing the crew to jump for the first few times from the sudden and loud impact as they waited. Some of the crew even became nervous as the next two hours passed by slowly and without contact from the Reclamation Bros ships, until finally, three hours into their free-float, their sensors picked up two objects moving towards them, followed by a message; "Fleetserv Pro _Tortuga_ , this is Reclamation Bros _Queen Mary_ and _Julieta_ , requesting permission to dock and complete refuel." The oncoming hips broadcast across the open frequency, causing all heads on the ship to lift up and stare. They were here and were still unaware of what was to happen.

Within an instant all of the crew members jumped to their feet and prepared to enact their plan, not a single heart on the ship beating any slower than double its average rate. The shoal zone had done its job well, keeping the vessels hidden from all sensors as well as line of sight until they were less than a mile from their ship. " _Queen Mary_ , _Julieta_ , you are clear to dock. Slowly approach and dock on both sides; _Queen Mary_ to port, _Julieta_ to starboard." The radio operator of the _Tortuga_ hailed back to which the Reclamation Bros acknowledged and began to maneuver their ships to the correct docking points.

Just as their provided information had indicated both ships were indeed heavily modified Clop-Class Light Cruiser previously employed by the Federation. The hangar bays had been extended the rest of the way down the flight decks, completely encasing the mobile suit catapults if they still even remained, and the side mounted dual beam cannon turrets had been removed from the sides of the ship, replaced instead by a single tri beam cannon turret just forward of the ship's bridge. Also absent from its time in Federation service was the two large cooling fins below the ship, indicating that the engines must have been upgraded to alleviate any overheating issues. As each ship drifted closer towards their own it became clear just how large the vessels were compared to the _Tortuga_ , and it was impressive that the Reclamation Bros were able to operate both the _Julieta_ and the _Queen Mary_ with only a skeleton crew of thirty or so each. Counting down the seconds until each ship would dock seemed like it took an eternity and with each passing second Amaury's patience grew thinner, his hand nervously resting on the back strap of his holstered handgun.

"Just dock already…" Sam mumbled, the whole group staring at the door as a split second later the ship rocked roughly in one direction and then in the other, the message sounding out clear over the ships radio. " _Tortuga_ to _Julieta_ and _Queen Mary;_ docking successful." Amongst the clear sounds of magnetic latches grabbing ahold of the ship's hull the refueling crew set out to establish connection to the two cruisers, ushering in Operation Duality. "Standby boys." Geoff muttered, awaiting the orders to initiate the assault while looking back to his pilots, Amaury's eyes staring back to his, knowing that any second now their moment of truth would come.


	7. Chapter 7: Operation Duality

With the connection between the two ships now secured the fake refueling crew set out to begin their task of refueling the vessels and providing a curtain, blinding the eyes of the _Julieta'_ s and _Queen Mary'_ s crew long enough for the boarding party to cautiously and quietly infiltrate with haste. Navigating maintenance shafts and air ducts to their strike locations with blueprints acquired by their informant on earth they made their way through the ship, radioing their progress back on their designated frequency while the rest listened and waited. Nervously the boys stood behind their Infiltrator escort inside of their access point, waiting for the chaos to offer them their own opportunity to strike. "Any idea how much longer?" Amaury asked Geoff quietly, trying not to generate any more sound than need as the man checked his watch and shook his head.

"Whenever they are in place. The whole process should only take twenty minutes or so, but there could be obstacles in their way. Just relax and sit tight; it will be soon." He instructed the boy who nodded and looked back to the bulkhead door. On the other side was a dark passageway leading into the _Queen Mary_ , extended automatically due to the ships docking protocol even though it would not be used during the refueling process. This would be their entry point once pried open and would be their ticket into the hanger; the same general plan existing for the other team on the _Julieta_. If all went according to plan they should encounter bare minimum resistance and would reach the hanger in less than ten minutes, well before any mobile suit launches could be achieved, or so they hoped. With each passing moment, and despite Geoff's instructions to relax, Amaury grew more impatient; nervously tapping his fingers across the frame of his handgun while his ears listened intently for what would likely be a resounding sound of gunfire and explosions. All of his training led up to this and he needed to make sure none of it went unutilized, knowing that he had to be prepared to act the should either team fail and a suit break free of the hanger.

"Come on…" The boy whispered to himself, lowering his visor in preparation as it flooded with oxygen and a heads-up display illuminated the status of the air-tight seal. He could hear the teams acknowledging that they were in place one after another, counting each signal until the final crew was placed, and Monty came across the radio. "Alright everyone, the teams are in place." He stated from his position at the starboard, preparing his own team to enter the _Julieta_. "Counting down from thirty, we will initiate shutdown on both of their ships, and the infiltrators will strike. Everyone get ready." He called out, and as he did so, began to count down. The hair stood up on the back of Amaury's neck as the numbers descended down, knowing that in just a few seconds, there was no going back, no backing out. It was all or nothing from here forward, and he was ready to give it his all. "Come on…" He whispered once more, trying to slow his rapid breathing as he drew his gun from its holster and held it close to his chest in a well-controlled position as the final seconds counted down. They had to be ready, they had to prevail. Reaching ten seconds, he watched as the power onboard the _Tortuga_ flickered rapidly, likely a result of the attempted hack into the enemy ships, and after a few seconds, all lights outside of the ship went dark as their target vessel went dark.

"Hack successful. Prepare for assault." Echoed through the radio from an unknown voice as the Infiltrators in front of the boy opened the bulkhead on the _Tortuga_ and charged forward down the access way to the entrance into the _Queen Mary_ , placing what appeared to be demolition charges on the door before backing up quite a ways. "Ready!" One called out as Geoff nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to the boys, looking them all in the eye as the remainder of them closed their helmet visors. "Get ready." This was it; it was time.

At the count down's end everything fell silent across the ship; a silence that would remain but for a few seconds before the distant muffled thuds of explosions filled the air. Holding his breath as he watched Geoff raise his hand to signal the breach, Amaury stared down the hall, watching the demolition charges detonate and blow the _Queen Mary_ 's bulkhead blow open, creating an opening directly into the ship. "Let's go!" Geoff commanded as the three infiltrators charged into the breach followed immediately by Geoff. "Come on!" Marcus commanded as he and Sam too ran forward, Amaury following behind as once again reality began to slow down a bit, his eyes catching every detail of the damaged blast doors as he ran through into the dark corridors of the _Queen Mary._ The power cut to the target ship, their only light was the glowing emergency lights at the base of the walls and the infiltrator's flashlights in front of them.

"Stay close, don't get lost." Geoff instructed as the floated their way through the ship, all artificial gravity disabled by the hacking. Radio traffic amongst the revolutionary forces was heavy and loaded with the sound of gunfire, making it nearly impossible to understand what was going on, at least to Amaury who was too preoccupied with the task at hand. Progressing down the hallways the infiltrators swept and cleared each intersection, guiding themselves via a map in the leader's PDA until reaching a four way intersection where the finally encountered resistance; the initial gunfire causing Amaury to jerk in surprise. Several minutes into the operation it would appear that the crew had caught on to the hijacking attempt and had begun to fight back in the defense of their ship, regardless of being outnumbered. "Don't let them bog us down." Geoff instructed to their escorts who all returned fire from the cover of the corridor corners. "Yes sir, this will only take a second!" Once called back, pulling the pin on a grenade and whipping it hard as he could down the hallway at their opponents, all of which scattered to avoid the blast.

Floating back to the boys, Geoff looked to them and pointed to the hallway across from them, a sign conveniently noting that the hanger was just down the hall. "There." He stated, turning back to Marcus. "There is the hanger. As soon as we clear this intersection, we need to hurry up and inside, search for any pilots attempting to break free, neutralize them and secure us our own mobile suits." He stated, looking over the shoulder of one of the infiltrators as more enemies appeared at the end of the hallway, likely trying to keep the pilots from gaining access to the hanger. "Fuck." He cursed under his breath knowing that the longer they spent here fighting the higher the chance an enemy pilot could make it out of the hanger. "Can you boys manage to hold them off?" Geoff asked the leader of the three infiltrators who nodded, firing his rifle down the hallway. "Yeah we got it, get to the hanger!" He called out as Geoff turned back to his three pilots. "Marcus, Sam, Amaury; we are going to the hanger." Geoff informed them, reloading his handgun and looking around the corner again.

"Sam and Marcus go first. Me and Amaury will be right behind you. Wait for my signal." He instructed, cool and calm despite the amount of returned small arms fire they were receiving. He waited for an opening in the fire before ordering the infiltrators to open fire, doing the same before motioning for Marcus and Sam to move. "Go, now!" He instructed as the two charged without question across the hallway and past the friendly infiltrators on the other side, disappearing into the hanger as Amaury hugged the wall nearest Geoff. Their leader turned to him and looked at the boy's surprisingly calm face, smirking a bit beneath his visor. "You okay?" He asked, as Amaury nodded. "Yes." A short response, he could think of nothing else to say. He had to be okay, there was no option. He would not come all of this way and then be crippled by fear. "We just need to hurry." He added to Geoff's annoyance, having told him several times already that he needed to be patient. "We will go in just a second. Wait for them to let up again. Marcus, Sam; you guys alright?" Geoff asked, reloading his gun once more as Sam attempted to reply, but was cut off by another radio transmission. Mildly annoyed, Geoff shook his head and asked again. "Repeat yourself; are you alright?" He questioned again as Sam again answered, this time without being stepped on. "No, Marcus is hit; someone is in here with us!"

Amaury's eyes instantly widened at hearing the words through his own headset, and though Geoff instantly turned to stop the boy from doing anything stupid, it wasn't enough. Almost within a split second Amaury floated to the top of the ceiling and instantly kicked off of the roof, thrusting himself across the opening in the hallway. "Amaury, no!" Geoff commanded, reaching to grab the boy's leg but he was too late. Through incoming fire Amaury glided, reaching the other side without Geoff. "Amaury, wait there, I'll-" Geoff attempted to command him again, but the boy did not listen and immediately began to float towards the hanger, hell bent on reaching his friend. His weapon level with his eyes the boy flew into the wide open hanger and spotted his friends instantly; Marcus was up against a wall holding his arm, clearly covered in blood as Sam floated above him, aiming his own weapon in a defensive manner. Floating to Marcus the boy looked at his arm, then at his friends face.

"Are you alright?" He asked, though knowing the situation it was more out of habit than anything else. "Yeah, I'm alright. Fucker shot me in the arm when I tried to stop him from running to a mobile suit." Marcus replied as Amaury looked at his wound, motioning for Marcus to lift his hand from it. It was clean shot to the upper arm, though it missed the bone based on the lack of deformity. "At least it didn't mess up my face." Marcus joked as Amaury shook his head, pushing his friend's hand back on his wound before realizing what Marcus had said, causing Amaury to look up at the room they stood in. His eyes widened a bit as for the first time in his life, he now stood face to face with what they had come so far to find; Mobile Suits. His mouth opened a bit as his eyes traced the catwalks that led to several complete and secured suits of various nationality and model, while other lay strapped to the floor. He could also see various parts stacked in piles and secured with tarps to keep them from floating away; this place was the mother lode.

"Where did he go?" Amaury asked as he floated towards Sam, trying not to be distracted by what was all around. Sam, who pointed down the hanger towards the main entrance, appeared more nervous than Amaury had ever seen him, though he could understand why. "He went that way; he was a pilot, I could tell by his suit!" Sam answered, turning his head to look at Amaury whose own eyes scanned the catwalks above them with no signs of movement or life amongst the mobile suits. If that was true, and he was a pilot, he was surely going to try and launch to defend their fleet; something that could not be allowed to happen.

Pushing off from the floor, Amaury began to float towards the catwalks level to the mobile suit cockpits, turning to Sam as he did so. "Wait here, Geoff is coming to help." He instructed to Sam, looking over to Marcus who nodded and warned him to be careful. Amaury nodded before continuing to fly upwards toward the catwalk, grabbing onto the railing when he reached the nearest branch. Scanning around him with his weapon still lined up with his eyes, he began to slowly progress towards the direction Sam indicated, the sound of the battle all around them still, though it was getting noticeably longer between gunfire. Between each mobile suit Amaury scanned to make sure that the pilot was not waiting for him to catch him in an ambush, quickly but efficiently clearing each corner before moving on. Where was he? He had to be up here somewhere, there was no other explanation; a pilot would try and launch, not run. Moving past his fourth mobile suit his eyes looked up at it. This one he could identify; a Zaku II, the same model he had trained on for many, many hours in the simulations. It was definitely a later model and had some armor and attachments that did not appear familiar to him, but its basic shape and design was unmistakable. Checking once more to make sure he wasn't be watched, Amaury reached forward and placed his hand on the closed cockpit door, feeling the hard metal armor beneath his glove. Standing here with this great machine in front of him it all seemed so real, and his eyes drifted up to the head of the monster, deactivated but still menacing. This is what they were here for after all, and this proved that it wasn't just a dream lost in the dark.

His thoughts were quickly broken however when the cockpit door of the mobile suit next to him opened; an old Federation RGM-79 that had been heavily modified and changed for space flight and painted the same colors as the Reclamation Bros company. With a gasp the boy's eyes instinctively shot up to the head of the machine, spotting the pilot he was looking for sitting on the shoulder of the machine, aiming right down at the boy. As the enemy pulled the trigger on his pistol, Amaury jumped backwards and discharged his own weapon, striking the armor plate of the GM. The boy's eyes scanned feverishly for the enemy amongst the body of the GM as he sought out cover behind a large, secured box, knowing that he had not hit him. "Come out, I won't harm you." Amaury commanded, knowing that they were to take no prisoners, but also knowing that any response could help him judge where his opponent was. Stupidly the enemy fell for the trap and scoffed.

"You think it will be that easy kid? I'm not stupid." The voice stated, clearly still on the body of the GM somewhere and not easily tricked. "You pirates really are something else; you weren't happy just hiring us to deliver your goods, you had to try and kill us too." He called back to the boy before popping out of his hiding spot on the elbow of the machine, discharging his weapon into the metal box Amaury hid behind, forcing the boy to pull his head back behind cover. "Well, you won't get me. Not without a fight!" He exclaimed, shooting the box several more times as Amaury stood and returned fire, striking the GM a few more times as he moved closer towards it, now hiding behind a solid railing at the side of the machine, only a few feet from where the enemy pilot was hiding.

"You've lost; just give up. The whole ship is taken over." Amaury tried to reason with him though his statement was mostly a bluff. He wasn't entirely sure how well the operation was going or who was winning. With a laugh the pilot fired back at Amaury from below the catwalk, holding on to the machine's hand. "Nice try, but your lies won't stop me from blowing that little ship of yours out of the sky!" He called back, shooting his weapon at Amaury once more as the boy grunted, covering his head with his hand out of nervous reaction as he looked up over the cover once more, and seeing the enemy pilot floating towards the catwalk below almost to the cockpit, knew he had to act for if he made it inside he couldn't be stopped, and the _Tortuga_ and everybody onboard would be in grave danger.

As the pilot grabbed the railing of the catwalk bringing him towards the open cockpit, Amaury emerged and charged towards him, discharging his gun inaccurately in an effort to suppress the pilot. Approaching quickly towards him, the pilot aimed at Amaury and fired his last few bullets, which all missed the boy as he jumped towards the pilot. "Guah, how did he dodge that!?" The pilot questioned angrily, drawing a knife from its pouch in preparation to stab the boy but instead of tackling the man as he had anticipated Amaury spun and kicked into him, sending him flying out into the emptiness of the hanger while Amaury came to almost a complete stop. "What?!" He growled angrily as Amaury aimed his gun out in front of him between his legs, directly at the man, staring the man down through the iron sights. While he had held a gun on someone before a few times, he had never killed anyone. Those he had encountered this way before did not have to die, and neither did this man, but if it needed to be done, he would. Nothing would stop them or their goal. His opponent smirked, floating backwards and unable to stop himself until he made contact with something.

"Nice moves, but you don't have the balls." He taunted, knowing that Amaury couldn't have been much older than twenty or so. Reaching a crane that hung down from the ceiling he fully drew his knife and flipped it over so that the blade was facing downwards and kicked off of the metal, flying back towards Amaury. Grunting as his enemy approached, his trigger finger twitched. "Stop!" He commanded, giving him one more chance to stop, but his attacker persisted. "You are all going to die!" He called out, lifting the knife to strike Amaury, and forcing the boy's hand.

Fifteen feet from the boy he pulled the trigger without flinching or hesitating. "Fuck you!" Amaury screamed as three bullets flew forward from the barrel of his gun, striking the enemy twice in the chest and a third time directly through his helmet visor into his forehead killing him instantly as his head jerked back and his lifeless body reversed direction back towards the crane due to the impact of the rounds. Blood droplets and glass from the body's face shield floating aimlessly through the hanger as the body drifted further and further away until it could no longer be seen in the somewhat dark hanger, all while Amaury floated in the same pose, his eyes focused forward, the world in slow motion. What had he just done? He killed him. He killed his enemy. For the first time in his life, he had killed another. His breath shallowed a bit as he looked down at his weapon, blood sprayed across the steel and his hands. He had no choice; it needed to be done. He threatened his family, and that could not be forgiven. He would have killed everyone on that ship including Carina, and even though the threat was neutralized, the boy still seethed with anger at the thought.

Hearing the gunfire from the hanger Geoff rushed forward from helping Marcus and spotted the boy hovering still above him, blood floating around in his vicinity. Fearing the worst, he kicked off of the floor and floated up towards him, looking all around to make sure that another enemy was lurking. "Amau-" He began to ask as Amaury's head immediately jerked towards him, the barrel now pointed at the shark helmet on his head. Instantly Geoff's hands rose slightly, indicating that he meant no harm. "Are you okay? What happened here?" Geoff asked, seeing now that it was not Amaury's blood that floated around in the hanger. The boy stared him down for a few tense seconds with the weapon still in hand before finally snapping out of his thoughts, lowering the weapon to his waist.

"He shot Marcus… he was going to get in a mobile suit and attack the _Tortuga._ " Amaury began, looking down to the last direction he saw the body floating while he replaced his weapon to its holster before looking back to Geoff. "I killed him." He added as Geoff looked to where the boy just had, then back to the GM behind him, its cockpit open and ready for boarding. The boy really did stop a pilot from taking off, and he was a bit surprised; it takes quite a lot for a man to kill another, and having never done it before, Amaury did not seem to hesitate. "You did well." Geoff replied, floating up to him and pushing him backwards a bit so that he would land on the catwalk in front of the GM. As he too stepped foot on the landing, he looked up to the GM with a small grin. It had been a long, long time since he had last seen a GM, though this one was nowhere near as simple as the old Federation models.

"Do you hear that?" He asked the boy as he turned back to him as Amaury looked over to his leader, shaking his head. "No." He replied, his mind still drifting in a million directions as Geoff smiled. "Exactly. Infiltration leader from _Queen Mary_ command, status report." Geoff questioned over the radio, and a few seconds later received his answer. "The _Queen Mary_ is ours, sir!" An excited voice replied as cheering could be heard in the background, forcing Geoff to smile as Amaury blinked. It was over? The _Queen Mary_ was theirs? "We did it kid. Good job." Geoff replied seeing Amaury's blank stare through his visor, patting him on the shoulder. The boy stared at him for a moment, then back to the GM behind him before sighing and placing his hand on his chest which had not stopped pounding since they first boarded the ship. They did do it, didn't they? As much as he didn't want to admit it, he did harbor quite a few doubts about the success of the mission. After all, the majority of them had never even touched a weapon before. But now, standing with the _Queen Mary_ in their hands, he wondered what else they would be able to accomplish.

As if destined by the universe, a radio transmission cut through Amaury's celebratory thoughts like a hot knife through butter. " _Queen Mary_ command from _Julieta_ ; Geoff, don't get too comfortable, we've got a situation over here!" A familiar voice called out amongst heavy gunfire, causing Geoff to immediately raise his hand to the side of his helmet and turn his radio volume up. "Monty, what's going on?" Geoff questioned; the concern obvious in his voice as well as the anxiety in Monty's. "We have yet to gain control of the _Julieta'_ s Bridge, and worse yet; a major counter attack has pushed us back from the hanger. They are planning to launch mobile suits against the _Tortuga_!" He called out, and instantly Amaury's heart sunk. "Carina…" He mumbled in his helmet, his eyes widening. They were all sitting ducks and would be turned to scrap metal! No, no! Turning to the GM behind him, and then to the Zaku II, he boosted off of the GM's hatch towards the ex-Zeon mobile suit with all his legs could give him. He had to do something and he had to do it now. Before Monty could even request assistance and long before Geoff could issue the order, Amaury made his way to the Zaku II and located the hatch release, opening the cockpit.

Lights inside began to illuminate as a small light above, used for boarding the machine in the dark, lit up the cockpit inside. The Zaku had no weapons that could be seen, and none that could be spotted easily in the hanger around them, but that couldn't stop him. If he would fight the enemy with the machine's bare hands, he would. Sitting in the cockpit and starting to flip the ignition switches, he looked up and spotted Geoff at his door. "I'm coming with you; wait for me to take point. That is an order." He instructed as he pointed his hand in Amaury's face, making sure he understood the importance of orders this time, to which the boy nodded in agreement. "Just don't take forever." He replied back to his squad leader who smirked and shook his head, hurrying his way to the GM next to him and climbing inside. Locking down his cockpit hatch, Amaury rapidly flipped through switches on the console around him, quickly starting up the ignition sequence.

The display screens all around him began to light up, and suddenly he found himself viewing the inside of the hanger through the eyes of the Zaku. Looking to his right he watched as the GM stepped forward from the hanger's lock down mechanism and stood in front of him on the tracks for the mobile suit catapult. Patching into his mobile suit commlink, Geoff's image appeared to the side of Amaury. "Follow my lead closely. We need weapons." He instructed as Amaury nodded and agreed, taking his first steps with a mobile suit ever. The jarring of the machine's footsteps on the metal floor was new, but other than that it was just as he had trained. "Just like the simulations…" He whispered to himself as he stood behind Geoff's GM, ready to go.

" _Queen Mary_ command to _Queen Mary_ Bridge; give the hanger power and get this goddamn door open!" Geoff instructed as the bridge acknowledged, illuminating the entire hanger and giving the men inside a good view of just what exactly the hanger entailed. Over ten complete mobile suits were scattered throughout the hanger, with enough parts to manufacture countless more. Amaury looked around at all of the hardware, searching for some kind of weapon but unable to find any. "Fuck…" He growled under his breath as Geoff pinged his location on his HUD. "We will have to improvise; I'm picking up multiple MS launches from the _Julieta_. We have to get out there and stop them. I would order the crew of the _Tortuga_ to evacuate to the _Queen Mary_ , but if they break connection, the _Julieta_ will be free to start moving away, taking all of our men onboard with it, and likely destroying the _Tortuga_ anyway. It's up to us." He instructed as the large blast door opened at the end of the hanger, revealing the debris field in front of them.

At that moment Geoff shifted the GM's boosters into full throttle, standing in place as they warmed up for a moment, before boosting forward towards the exit to the hanger. "Let's go!" He called out as Amaury followed, running at first before shoving his controls forward as hard as he could, lifting the Zaku free of the floor and down the hanger shaft at full speed until the brown and tan machine broke free of the corridor and out into space. His eyes focused on the screen in front of him, the opened wide as he entered space for the first time in a mobile suit, the feeling of freedom so great that he smiled. "This… this is it…" He spoke softly to himself before his machine indicated approaching enemies, forcing him to look down at his sensors and then to the screen displaying Geoff to his right. "Kid, don't get all googly eyed on me just jet. We have to save the Tortuga." He instructed as Amaury's eyes darted over to the three ships all docked together, and the three mobile suits that now stood atop of them; one on the _Julieta_ , the other two on the top of the _Tortuga_ , walking towards the forward bridge. Growling under his breath in anger Amaury spun himself around to face the _Tortuga_ , watching as Geoff did the same. "Let's give them a rough ride, eh?" He asked before boosting straight towards the mobile suit on the right of their home ship, Amaury following and targeting the left, his teeth grinding as his hands gripped the controls tighter than he ever had during any simulation. They had to be fast; they had to save them!


	8. Chapter 8: Trial By Fire

Onboard the _Tortuga_ the remaining few crew continued with their objectives as the assault continued, jamming any outgoing messages and making sure that neither the _Julieta_ nor the _Queen Mary_ gained back control of their own vessel. Since both Monty and Geoff were taking place in the hijacking, as well as her status as third in commander of the entire operation, Carina was placed in charge of all operations aboard the _Tortuga_. Stationed on the bridge of their ship, she watched nervously out of the windows as the ships on both sides of her became a warzone for her friends. Although all of their training had led up to this point, secretly she wished that it never would have come to this. If there could have been some way for their home to be freed without bloodshed, she would have much preferred it, but given the repeatedly failed politics between earth and her colonies over the last half of a century, she knew that to be a false hope.

"Status report." Carina demanded at one point, witnessing a large explosion to the port of the _Julieta_. An operator at the station in front of her feverishly investigated and turned around to face her, shaking his head. "Everything is alright according to Commander McNeil, ma'am. Acceptable casualties." The operator reported as Carina sighed and thanked him while bringing her hand to her mouth in a nervous tick, afraid of what Monty considered 'acceptable casualties'. For her no casualties were acceptable, and each member of the Movement lost was a friend never going home to their family. This thought was enough to make her stomach turn, and as the battle went on it only grew worse. Unable to bear the disconnection between herself and her friends, she herself donned a headset and began to listen in on the radio traffic, tuning in just as Sam reported that Marcus had been shot, followed by Geoff screaming Sam and Amaury's name.

Carina froze; her hands, which had previously been holding onto each ear cup on the headset, shaking as she listened for some kind of follow up, which never seemed to come. Why did they not say anything else? Why? Why were they being so quiet?!

Tapping her foot nervously she leaned on her console with one hand while holding onto the headset with the other. "Come on, say something guys!" She yelled quietly to herself, hearing Geoff only after some time had passed. " _Queen Mary_ Command to Evac Team; I've got one wounded in the hanger, I'm sending him out with escort. I've also got one hostile attempting to launch a mobile suit; me and Amaury are going to pursue, keep the hanger locked down until I say so!" He called out as Carina finally exhaled the breath she had been holding for all that time. Since Geoff had made it a point to evacuate the wound soldier, who she assumed to be Marcus, she knew he was alright, though she was still uneasy. No matter how much she wanted to go check on her friend however she knew she could no leave the bridge, at least not at this time, especially now that it seemed chaos was erupting on the _Julieta_. Listening to the radio traffic it was clear that things had gotten quite heated inside the hallways of the ship and as more and more reports of casualties began to be transmitted, her heart sank.

"Monty, what is going on in there?" She asked through her headset as the man scoffed back. "Well, a gun fight for one." He replied with a chuckle amongst heavy gun fire, the girl less than amused. "Not funny." She replied, watching out the bridge windows as another explosion rocked the _Julieta_. "They have barricaded themselves in the bridge, and down here at the hanger we are having a hard time keep them out and us in. Has the _Queen Mary_ been taken yet?" He asked, having not paid much attention with everything that had been going on around him. "I'm not sure. Fighting does seem to have calmed down. I will divert resources to your operation as they become available." Carina replied, just as an alarm suddenly began to blare on the bridge. Lifting her head to the ear piercing noise, Carina, turned to the computer operator and looked over her shoulder. "What's wrong? Why is that alarm going off?" She questioned as the tech looked over to her, attempting to speak before Monty yelled over her radio. "Why the hell is hanger bay opening?!" He screamed angrily into the radio, prompting the girl to walk over to the window and look to the _Julieta_ in disbelief.

"What is going on?!" Carina questioned in confusion as the computer technician slammed her fist into the computer in anger. "They are breaking free of my control, it's only the hanger right now… but we need to end this fast!" She cried out in anger, furiously typing on her computer to try and delay the crew of the _Julieta_ regaining control as Carina looked back out of the window, the main hangar doors visible as they slowly opened. "Monty are you hearing this?" Carina called to him as she watched, her hands shaking at the thought of what may come out of that hanger. "Hearing it?! I'm fucking seeing it! They are preparing to launch multiple mobile suits!" He replied frantically as the girl zoned out, staring towards the front of the ship. Their mobile suits are breaking free? This couldn't be. They had done everything right, and they almost completed their mission. How could the come so far only to fail now? It wasn't set in stone, but should their mobile suits be allowed to attack them… they would all surely be killed. Her eyes drifting down to the console in front of her, trying to shake this paralyzing feeling of doom that had swept over her. What could she do? How could she save those on the _Tortuga_ , keeping the revolution alive? Her answer laid in the next radio transmission she heard; the _Queen Mary_ was theirs.

"Abandon ship." She finally whispered after a few seconds, looking outside as from the _Julieta_ shot three mobile suits, heading out into space and preparing to come back towards the ship. "What?" One of the personnel on the bridge asked, causing Carina to turn to him and stare, pulling the headset from her head, preventing her from hearing anything more. "Abandon ship. Head into the _Queen Mary_ , you will be safe there. Everyone, go!" She commanded as the crew, who all knew the danger now that the enemy had launched mobile suits, looked at each other and then back to her. "But ma'am, you can't run the bridge by yourself!" One of them objected while Carina shook her head. "I don't need to run the bridge, just the computer. You all have done well, but there is no need for you all to die here." She replied, walking over to where her computer tech was sitting. "Marissa, it's okay. Please just go, I beg of you." She reassured the girl before addressing her whole crew. Marissa looked to her for a second before she shook her head, not intending to abandon her post.

"No Carina, I'm staying." She replied as she stood up from her seat, the fear in her eyes evident but flushed out by bravery. "We all took an oath to set our people free, no matter the cost. We are not going to leave you here by yourself." Marissa calmly stated as the other crew members all nodded in agreeance. Carina was shocked; didn't they know she was trying to save their lives? If they didn't all go now, they could die. She didn't want to die, but if her death saved all of them… it would be worth it. "Guys…" She stuttered, a little choked up by their dedication, but before she could say anymore more the _Tortuga_ shook violently all of a sudden, causing them all to gasp as they knew what that was.

"Well look what we have here." An unpleasant voice called out over the open frequency of the ship having patched in through the network while standing atop of the _Tortuga_ , bending their relay tower as his mobile suit held onto it. "A bunch of rats!" He added as Carina swallowed nervously, not even sure how to reply. This was open warfare and there was nothing that could be said that would stop what was about to happen. This was the end. "This will be the last time we ever hire someone to refuel our fleet, and the last time any of you ever see daylight." Another added to the conversation as a second mobile suit landed on the roof of their ship. They couldn't see the suits but the sound of their impact across the top of the ship was deafening. "Screw you, you bastards!" Carina called out to them as they laughed, banging their mobile suit's feet on the top of the ship as hard as possible. "Why don't you just shut up in there and wait for your turn to die. Right now, we need to figure out what to do with your- wait a minute…" The man stopped, his HUD displaying two oncoming mobile suits from the _Queen Mary_.

"Well never mind, it looks like the crew from the _Mary_ made it. Well, I guess we should just finish them off now." The man stated with a chuckle, his mobile suit another heavily modified Zaku II, stomping down on the hull again as its hands lifted a large, solid titanium axe in the air in preparation to strike down the crew who though they could not see the mobile suits atop of their ship, felt the impending end. Carina's eyes focused up at the ceiling as tears formed, though she knew she shouldn't cry. This was their choice; they knew this could happen, and her only wish being that she would have had more time to see the revolution through. "Say goodbye!" He cried out, swinging the axe down towards the ship, only to the stop at the words of the third mobile suit atop the _Julieta_. "Rick, I don't think these two are ours, they are coming right towards us!" The leader stopped, turning his Zaku's eye towards the oncoming mobile suits, approaching rather fast. "What?" He asked out loud right before being rammed from the top of the _Tortuga_ by Geoff, knocking him back into space before his GM slid to a stop atop the _Tortuga._

"What the hell was that?!" The second on the top of ship questioned, spotting their own mobile suit in the hands of their enemy. "You bastard; that is ours!" He called out, boosting towards Geoff and firing his weapon before he too was knocked from the ship, this time by Amaury. "Get the fuck away from them!" He cried out, boosting forward to follow the target, which turned to fire its 120mm machine gun directly into him. "You are a fool, greenhorn!" The pilot exclaimed, firing at the boy who, now fully in his element here in space, dodged each shot while closing in on his target. "He's fucking fast!" The pilot exclaimed as Amaury closed the distance and grabbed the head of the GM with one of the Zaku's hands, the other keeping the GM's weapon away from him.

"Rick, help!" The pilot called out for his leader as Amaury growled under his helmet in anger, squeezing the enemy's head with all the Zaku's might until it cracked the lens. He would have torn the head from the machine had it not been for the apparent leader of the enemy forces flying towards him and swinging with his axe, forcing the boy to evade and boost back towards the _Tortuga,_ sliding to a stop next to Geoff, though his attention turned to the third mobile suit perched atop of the _Julieta_ , a ragged appearing Guncannon of unknown model and type, obviously a junk town special; both of its cannons slowly turned and adjusted themselves to zero in on the boy. "Nice work kid, now don't be a fool." Geoff taunted the boy as his eyes never left the opponent in front of him, knowing his weapons could dish out quite a bit of damage. "Watch out for that Zaku's axe, it may not be a power weapon, but it will tear your suit in half. In fact, leave him to me." Geoff continued as Amaury nodded in agreement, reaching over and tuning his Zaku in to the _Tortuga_ frequency, thinking of how to defeat an opponent bristling with weapons.

"Carina?" Amaury asked into the radio, forcing the girl to peak her head over the consoles they had all sought shelter as the battle above played out. Her eyes focused at a headset across the way from her, listening intently as the boy called again. "Carina, are you guys alright?!" He asked again with more desperation, dodging a round from the Guncannon unit as it opened fire. "I've grown tired of looking at your face!" The hostile pilot exclaimed, running along the hull of the _Julieta_ as Amaury boosted across the gap between the two ships towards him, dodging a second shot. "Amaury!" The girl cried out as she pulled the headset onto her head, slowly standing to watch Amaury's Zaku closing the distance to his enemy. "You're okay!" She added as the boy slid to a stop atop the _Julieta_ , swinging at the Guncannon, forcing it back up and re-zero its shot, which missed again. Laughing a bit under his visor he smiled to himself, boosting up and over to avoid another shot.

"Of course I'm okay. We have dinner plans, remember?" He joked, forgetting that he was over an open mic due to the battle around him and causing Carina's face to darken a bit, though it did not dampen her smile. "Yeah, right." She replied sheepishly, watching as he thrust forward towards the Guncannon unit and grabbed ahold of the left gun barrel on its shoulder, tearing it off as he boost past. Spinning to face his enemy once more he dodged another shot and sped towards him, rearing his fist back to punch the cockpit hatch before the hostile GM bore down on him, emptying its magazine of 120mm rounds towards the boy and striking his suit several times as sparks flew from it. Forced to evade he jumped off of the deck and boosted up into the space above the ship, his eyes widening as the GM boosted towards him at full speed in chase. If he wanted to play rough, he would play rough.

At the same time Geoff boosted off of the roof of the _Tortuga_ and towards their leader, careful to dodge the first few swipes of the large axe. It was clear that this pilot had previously fought against Federation pilots, knowing how to avoid and deflect most basic Federation attacks, and it was safe to assume that he was dangerous. This did not deter Geoff however who boosted in close enough to where the axe would be both dangerous and cumbersome to use, using his fist to hit the Zaku's cockpit twice. "Don't fuck with me kid!" The enemy called out as Geoff scoffed, boosting out of the trajectory of the axe.

"Kid?" Geoff questioned as he grabbed the Zaku's axe near the head and threw it away to the side, striking the Zaku hard enough to send it into a collision course with a large piece of colonial debris floating near the ships. "I'm old enough to be your father." Geoff calmly taunted, grabbing the axe and boosting his way towards the hostile ace, swinging the weapon and smashing into the debris near the Zaku, which had boosted away to avoid the bisecting blow. As the debris cleared and it was clear that his target was still combat active he looked around in search of him, pulling the axe from the metallic structure. "You can't hide from me out here." Geoff spoke again, boosting out into the debris field in search of the enemy, unwilling to allow him the upper hand with a sneak attack or to break away and attack the _Tortuga._

Back at the ship Amaury continued to fight against two opponents at once, dodging shots from both above and below, as well as physical attacks from the GM. "You really are fast kid, but you've probably never killed anyone before; you don't know what it takes!" The pilot of the GM taunted as Amaury dodged another burst of fire, returning the strike with a bus he grabbed from the space debris, likely from one of the space colonies that were destroyed at the Battle of Loum. "That pilot I killed on the _Queen Mary_ would disagree…" Amaury mumbled barely loud enough to be heard as the GM swiped the bus away and boosted towards the boy, the pilot obviously unhappy with his words. "How dare you! I'll cut you in fucking half!" He cried out, approaching full throttle as the boy boosted towards him. Impacting in the middle Amaury grabbed at his weapon arm and tore the gun from his hand and into space, reeling back to strike the GM with his fist before Carina intervened.

"Amaury, he's got a heat hawk!" She cried out as the GM drew the weapon from its back secretly and swung at the unprepared Amaury, catching the Zaku off guard and striking its shoulder joint, crippling its left arm. Amaury grunted in anger, kicking the GM back before going on the offensive once more, ramming his damaged side into the machine's back and destroying its rear boost unit, the GM now floating in space, crippled. "You won't get me!" Amaury streamed in anger, dodging the backhand swing of the heat hawk once more while his opponent scoffed. "It won't be me who gets you, punk!" He called out as Amaury's sensors detected a target lock, forcing him to look down at the deck of the _Julieta_ where the Guncannon stood and aimed straight up at him. How could he have not noticed the Guncannon lining up that shot?! "Gotcha." The hostile gunner calmly stated as Amaury gasped, his mind began to slow down the world around him, watching the muzzle flash of the cannon as it fired up at him.

Forced to react quickly and without any other option, he reached out and grabbed the crippled GM with his damaged arm and moved it directly in front of him, using it as a shield. Shocked at the boys sudden movement the pilot inside cried out in fear as the round struck the GM directly in the cockpit; tearing through the cockpit hatch and out of the mobile suits' back, turning the pilot into a pink mist as well as completely severing the damaged arm from Amaury's Zaku. "AMAURY!" Carina screamed loudly into the radio, tears forming in her eyes as the GM exploded, clouding the area in debris and smoke, making it unclear if Amaury had survived. The Guncannon pilot growled in anger, believing the boy dead but clearly upset about the loss of his friend. "That fucking kid used Misaka as a shield… but I still got him…" He stated out loud before turning towards the _Tortuga_ and locking onto the Bridge with his remaining cannon.

"You're next." The Guncannon pilot calmly continued, preparing to fire on the Tortuga before being forced to dodge incoming machine gun fire from above. "That is impossible!" He growled as from the smoke above Amaury's heavily damaged Zaku flew, firing the stolen machine gun in rapid succession towards him. "You bastard!" The Guncannon pilot exclaimed as he fired twice more without a target lock at the boy, both of which missed as he spun towards the Guncannon at top speed. Unaware that the force his body had experienced during the battle had caused the blood vessels in his right eye to burst, he screamed in anger as he approached his enemy, hell bent on ending the fight.

Carina jumped as the force of Amaury slamming down onto the metal substructure of the carrier rocked all three of the ships, her eyes following the metal armor as it rippled slightly from the impact, then back to the Zaku, thankful he was alive. Her hand clutched her chest as she watched his next moves, holding her breath as he feverishly engaged the Guncannon directly in front of him. He was unstoppable and unrelenting, charging attack after attack into his enemy. She gasped as the boy boosted forward and rammed his right shoulder into the enemy, causing him to thrust backwards to attempt and alleviate the damage. "You scumbag!" The pilot called out as he fired his own machine gun at the boy who, instead of dodging the shots, boosted straight towards him, ignoring the rounds as most deflected from the Zaku's armor, though some penetrated and caused internal damage, including one that shredded through the machine's chest and destroyed all of the screens to the right of the boy.

Seeing pieces of his mobile suit fly into space as it took damage, Carina closed her eyes tightly, unwilling to watch the death of her friend; the boy's enraged scream echoing over the radio as smashed glass and sparks filled his cockpit. "Come on! Come get me!" The Guncannon pilot taunted, stepping forward and firing a round at almost point blank range as the boy closed in, striking the Zaku's head and blowing it clean off, but not before Amaury forcefully shoved the machine gun in his Zaku's right hand into the cockpit of the Guncannon, the barrel bent and mangled, but clearly inside of the cockpit. The motion of both suits stopped and a dead silence filled the air for a brief moment before Amaury's voice again filled the air, screaming at the top of his lungs as he discharged every last round in the guns magazine directly into the cockpit of the machine, reducing its internal mechanisms to scrap metal.

Standing still immediately after his apparent victory he panted heavily; his heart pounding in his chest as he still clutched the controls tightly, the trigger to his weapon system still depressed. The screens inside now dark from the loss of his Zaku's head, he could not see anything on the outside, and called to the _Tortuga_ to confirm _._ "Is he down?" The boy asked, bringing Carina to open her eyes; the tears that had formed in her eyes visible as they crept slowly down her cheeks. "Amaury?" She questioned out loud in disbelief as another crewman on the bridge stood and pointed to the boy's mobile suit. "He… he did it!" He cheered out as the others followed. "Yes! Yes Amaury, you got him!" Carina called out with a massive smile across her face, pressing her hands up against the glass of the bridge's windows to look around. "Are you alright?!" She asked as the boy sighed in relief and sat back in his cockpit, looking around at the space around him.

"Yeah." He replied, noticing now that his right eye was a bit blurry, though he couldn't tell why. "I'm alright. The suit is toast, but I'm alright." Letting go of the controls he looked down at his hands, shaking terribly with adrenaline from everything that had just happened. He couldn't believe it; not only did he get to pilot a mobile suit, but he had fought, and won, his first battle! A smile slowly crept over his own face as he closed his eyes, thinking over everything that had just happened. "Just stay put; we will send a team out to get you." Carina spoke again with one hand pressed to the glass, looking out to Amaury's suit while he manually ejected the hatch and climbed out of the cockpit. Holding on to a grab bar to his side he looked to the destroyed mobile suit in front of him, sparks visible inside the black abyss that was once its cockpit; the gun he had used to destroy it mangled almost beyond recognition inside of it. Luckily for him the Minovsky reactor did not detonate, preserving the integrity of the ship's hull below. He then looked towards the _Tortuga_ and spotting the girl in the window, waved as if to signify he was okay. With a smile and blush she waved back, but caught something from the corner of her eye; the realization of what it was causing her to gasp.

"Another one, Amaury!" She called out, pointing behind him as he spun and watched in shock as another mobile suit, some kind of Zaku variant, flew out from the hanger and into the debris field, spinning and flipping as if it had been set free from an eternal slumber. "What?!" He questioned as his non-bloodied eye widened in shock, tracing its booster trail through the shoals all around them, and then directly towards him. Grinding his teeth together in anger he held tightly onto the grab bar, knowing that he was in deep trouble. His machine was fried beyond use and Geoff had yet to return from his fight in the debris field, leaving him to fend for himself. "Amaury, get out of there!" Carina pleaded as Amaury continued to stare at the oncoming machine, his ears ringing louder and louder as it came closer to him. "If he's going to get me, he's going to get me." Amaury replied calmly, knowing there was absolutely no way to escape this new enemy, almost accepting his fate; even if he were to fall here by this pilot's hands, Geoff would return and defeat him, saving the fleet. He had done his job and kept them alive this long, this would be a death worthwhile. "No Amaury, try!" The girl called back as Amaury instead knelt down and kicked off of the platform he stood on, flying towards the incoming Zaku with intent to at least distract him. Thinking of something witty to say for his last words, he became distracted as a voice called over the radio to them.

"Well, hello there little ant!" Monty said with a laugh as the mobile suit reversed itself to a stop directly in front of the boy, careful not to crush or burn him though Amaury crossed his arms over his face to avoid the bright thrusters. "Monty?" Amaury questioned as the cockpit on the Zaku opened up, revealing the man inside the machines chest. "Who else would it be? I see you handled yourself quite well out here." Monty replied with a grin, looking to the destroyed Guncannon and the debris of the GM above. "I'm impressed, but you seem to have lost your wing man." He teased, holding his hand out for Amaury to step on, which the boy did and held onto one of the suit's fingers. "Don't worry, I'll go find him. You help clean up the mess on the _Julieta_. We may have the ship, but they still have the bridge. Evict the tenants from our new home." He instructed as Amaury nodded, maintain his grip as Monty slowly coasted over to the _Tortuga_ 's roof and allowed the boy to step off, slowly floating away from the ship. "Be right back." He added with a wink, closing his hatch and boosting up into the debris field above where Geoff was last seen fighting the remaining hostile.

Relieved that Monty was the pilot and not another enemy Amaury was able to breathe once again, watching above as Monty's booster trail disappeared until his boosters were just a shooting star amongst the debris, searching around the massive shoal zone for his friend. He had never intended to get separated from Geoff, and seeing as they had not heard a transmission from him in quite a while, he hoped that he was okay. His head turned towards the deck below at the sound of a hatch opening, watching as someone emerged from the _Tortuga_ , looking towards him. "Hey you!" Carina called out with a hum through radio as Amaury instinctively smiled; something that just seemed to happen whenever he heard her voice. "Hey." He replied with a smile, floating over to the hatch and grabbing the hand she had extended out for him as he got close. "Is everyone alright, how is Marcus?" Amaury immediately asked as she pulled him down into a small airtight room near the bridge and sealing the hatch behind him and turning back to him. "He is alright. In fact, I think he is over on the _Julieta_ helping break open the bridge doors." She replied, pulling the helmet from her head once air had flooded the room, shaking her head while her long black braided hair followed behind in the zero gravity.

With a smile Amaury shook his head, pulling his own helmet off. "Go figure he wouldn't just take it easy, even after being shot." He replied with a small smile as he looked down at his helmet in his hands, then back up at Carina, who now noticed his blooded right eye. She stopped and stared for a moment with a small frown and then back to him as a whole. Was that from the battle? His helmet wasn't damaged, and she assumed it had to be from his speed. "Amaury, your eye…" She questioned as he blinked, unsure what she was talking about. "It's oka-" He began to reply before she abruptly reached up and caressed his cheek below the injured eye with her hand, this time unable to control herself as opposed to back on Dresden. Her eyes shift to his other eye as the boy froze, staring at the girl with a red face, feeling the heat form her hand through her glove.

"I-I'm okay…" He finished his sentence as she slowly lowered her hand down, but then after a brief moment wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as he floated back at the force of the hug. Nervously he held his hands to his sides, slowly placing them on her back to hug her in return. "I was so worried about all of you, and watching your battle… I thought for sure you were going to…" She replied, her voice muffled in his chest. Knowing he was back onboard and safe was a great feeling, causing her to hold onto the boy for quite a bit of time before she leaned back from him a bit, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm just glad you are okay." She finished her sentence as Amaury smiled, letting go of her so that she could float back from him. "You all are safe, that is all that matters to me." He replied in almost a whisper, his smile bringing her own back as she looked to the bridge of the ship. "C'mon Amaury, Monty wants us to help on the _Julieta_. We are almost done." She smiled and motioned for him to follow before heading out, the boy closely behind.

Boosting through the debris field and scanning left and right feverishly, Monty searched for his friend amongst the debris. He knew that some lowly pirate would never be able to defeat Geoff, but he was a bit anxious as it wasn't like Geoff to stay out of his mission objective for so long. All around signs of the recent battle were evident, and it was easy for him to follow the clouds of recently disturbed space dust directly to where his sensors could pick up on his friend. Following the ping he found Geoff atop what was once an expressway, now a large floating concrete chunk of space debris, obviously once part of a destroyed space colony at Loum. His damaged GM standing up from over the enemy Zaku, the Zaku's own axe thrust deep into the waist and cockpit of the machine, the pilot undoubtable dead inside. Releasing his GM's hands from the axe, Geoff turned and looked towards Monty as he landed next to him and patched into his commlink. "Just in time; I just finished this fight." Geoff stated as Monty laughed, looking down to the smoldering wreckage of the Zaku.

"Got a little nervous there buddy, you haven't answered my calls." Monty replied as Geoff scoffed, the GM's hand pointing to a large slice in its head. "He wasn't a rookie; he severed my long range communications antenna right off in one of his first strikes. That's what took me so long." He replied as he looked back towards the large ships far below them, seeing that all three were still in one piece. "How did the kid do? Are we done?" He asked as Monty looked down as well. "They are mopping up the rest of the _Julieta_ now, almost done. And Amaury? He did just fine; still in one piece and killed both the GM and the Guncannon on his own too. Guess my training really prepared him well, eh?" Monty asked, Geoff laughing as he shook his head, his arms crossed. "Nah, I would say it was more like it was my leadership." He taunted as Monty laughed back, cracking his knuckles and placing them behind his head, clearly not in a huge hurry to get back to the ship. "Let's just chock it up to the Newtypes again. After all, I choose to let him in for a reason." He added, jumping his Zaku from the overpass and back into space. "Well, we better get back. We have a special guest amongst our men, and I don't need them shooting her!"

On the _Julieta_ the majority of the Revolutionary forces gathered outside of the bridge's blast doors, trying to break in. The whole goal of the team who was assigned to each bridge was to prevent the sealing of the blast doors, because once sealed they were a nightmare to break open. Unfortunately for the boarding party of the _Julieta_ , someone on the bridge spotted an infiltrator a second too quick and locked the bridge down. The doors couldn't be blasted open, instead needing to be cut open with a torch. For almost an hour the infiltrators cut at the door while almost sixty armed soldiers waited to raid the bridge, anxiously conversing amongst themselves and playing cards on boxes, the whole while taunting and being taunted by the remaining handful of Reclamation Bro's crewmen inside. As Amaury and Carina made their way to the bridge the lead infiltrator had just finished a harsh exchanged of words with his victims inside and slammed his fist angrily into the door, cursing wildly as his torch operators changed their fuel tanks for the fourth time.

"What's going on?" Amaury asked, having walked in amongst the crowd, who all turned to him and cheered, catching him off guard. His eyes opened wide as a few ran up to him, all talking at once, though it became apparent that they must have seen the battle from the windows. "Hey, move out of the way, let me through!" Marcus called out, pushing his way through the crowd until he stood face to face with his friend. He started at him first with a serious look and then burst out laughing with the rest of them. "Amaury, that was amazing!" He cheered, his arm bandaged and slung across his chest as Sam caught up, holding his fist out for Amaury to 'bump', which the boy did. "That was sick, you totally kicked their ass!" He exclaimed as Amaury grinned a bit, not a huge fan of all the attention. "I mean, thanks guys but I was just doing my job." He admitted as Marcus him jokingly in the back with his good arm, his laughter booming throughout the hallway. "Just doing your job my ass; you are a hero!"

A hero? He didn't think of himself as a hero, nor did he want to be a hero. "No, no seriously guys, I'm not a hero, I'm not!" He stated while lightly laugh in a nervous fashion, Carina walking in front of him with a smile. "They are never going to let you live this down Amaury, just get used to it." She stated with a giggle as the other cheered even more, one of the crewmen from the bridge speaking up as well. "What about you Miss Carina? You were going to sacrifice yourself to save all of us. That seems pretty heroic to me as well!" He stated as the girl blushed, shaking her head and turning to Amaury, who had already turned to focus on her. Sacrifice herself? "It's nothing, don't even mention it. I just… figured that the more soldiers that lived, the better we would make out in the long run." She tried to lie as Marissa spoke up, the computer technician from the bridge. "No don't try and downplay it!" Carina blushed deeper at the girl's words, looking to Amaury who looked to her with soft eyes. He knew that she had a kind heart, but sacrificing herself for her friends was a whole new level. "Hero." He simply replied, bring a small grin to her cheeks as she playfully punched his arm and laughing with the group, everyone stopping as gunfire erupting behind the blast doors, muffled by the heavy steel. "It's inside, it's inside!" The infiltrator leader called out as he motioned for the breaching crew to back up and the soldiers to move in, forming a firing line on the other side of the door as the shooting died down. The entire room trained their weapons on the doors as the pilots and mechanics present all sought cover, the sound of the metal doors unsealing nearly deafening the crew.

"What the hell just happened?" Marcus asked as Carina, who stood cautiously behind Amaury, shook her head. "I don't know, it… did they turn on one another?" She added as Amaury's ears rang louder than ever before, even causing him to wince his injured eye. Why now? Why was this happening right now? Trying to focus he watched a smoke poured form the doors, and before them stood a single figure; a female wearing the uniform of those they had just had fought, her face hidden behind a visor. Seeing the entire group of soldiers in front of her aiming directly at her she smirked. "Well, this was not expected." She stated as the leader of the infiltrators spoke up. "Identify yourself!" He yelled, noticing that she did not have a gun and unwilling to shoot an unlucky civilian. She turned to him and stared for a moment, then placed a hand on her hip. "This is no way to treat your informant." She replied, causing Amaury and several others to look past her at all of the dead crewman inside of the bridge. Did she do that? Did she kill them all? She had to have killed them, none of their own were inside. Who was this woman?

"I asked who you were, identify yourself!" He yelled again as the girl scoffed and shook her head, obviously annoyed. "Ugh, alright!" She replied, obviously annoyed as she reached up for her helmet and pulled it from her head revealing a very long trail of golden hair, well past her shoulders, flowing freely in the air around her but still remaining graceful enough for some of the soldiers to gawk at her beauty. "I am Elise Ridden, and like I said, this is no way to treat your informant." She sternly addressed the crowd as they all looked at one another in shock, shaking as on the other side of the bridge landed Monty and Geoff, the Zaku's eye looking right inside of the bridge as Elise turned to face it.

"Ahh, Miss Ridden." His voice called out over the radio, an obvious glint of excitement evident. "I was wondering when you would show up!" Monty laughed as the girl seemed less than pleased. Silently she turned around and looked back to the crew, some of which lowered their weapons now, and scanned each face, stopping only once her blue eyes landed on Amaury. He too stared, though it was not because of her beauty; it was as if something was drawing him to her look at her, the ringing in his ears seeming to pull his attention to her as if she was some kind of beacon. After a moment of staring into her bright blue orbs he finally broke the woman's hold on him and turned to Carina who, upon seeing the blood that ran from his eye, frowned and turned to him. "Let's get that eye checked out." She instructed him with a smile and without any delay he followed behind her, destined for the _Tortuga_ , the room behind them erupting into many different conversations at once, as well a good amount of cheering at their victory. The ships were theirs and so were the mobile suits. Over the course of little more than three hours they had gone from nothing to a true force to be reckoned with, one that stood a chance to set the fire that would burn away the Federation's chains on their home. But despite this time to celebrate, Amaury could only think about this mysterious newcomer, everything that had happened, and about the girl who led him with a smile down the battle damaged hallways of their new fleet.


	9. Chapter 9: Confession

"Guah, that burns!" Amaury called out with a hiss as reached up to rub his eye before Carina gently slapped if away, pointing a finger in his face to jokingly scold him. "Don't touch it!" She yelled with a giggle while walking towards a medical supply cabinet on the other side of the room, the stinging still painfully evident and taking every bit of self-control he had not to rub it. To distract himself he looked around the small infirmary, which although small was more than enough for the crew of the _Tortuga_. Of the ninety soldiers who took part in Operation Duality, thirteen were killed, all of which were infiltrators, while another thirty were injured and only a handful seriously. The wounded were moved to one of the two larger ships along with all of the medical staff for treatment, having much more equipment and even a small operating room from what he understood, leaving the small infirmary empty besides Carina and himself. Looking back up to the girl as she approached again he watched her unroll a bandage on her hand, carrying more of the solution she had dripped into his eye.

"I'm going to put a bit more in your eye and then wrap it up, alright? That way it will help keep it closed, and the solution in." She asked, setting the materials she needed on the examination bed next to him as he nodded. "Alright." He agreed, smiling a bit up to her from his seated position. She smiled back, but continued to focus on his eye, forcing her to frown once more. "Lean your head back." She instructed, the boy immediately doing as she asked without question. He trusted her judgment and knew she wouldn't do anything to harm him.

"Yes, Dr. Hughes." Amaury quietly joked as she stood over him, shaking her head as she dropped the solution into his eye. Almost instantly he grunted, closing his eyes like he was supposed to in an attempt to keep the liquid inside. "I know it burns, but it will help. An injury like this is somewhat common and this mixture is specifically designed to help. This is all from the Negative G-Force you endured during your battle." She explained, placing a gauze pad over his eye and carefully wrapping the bandage around his head to hold it in place. "Your body will eventually become more accustomed to the force, and this will happen less often, but being this was your first time experiencing such force, on top of your... frantic movement, I'm surprised you even remained conscious." Though she wasn't medically trained, she understood the effect of G-Force on the body out here in space as it factored heavily into the designs and functions of the mobile suits. "You were so fast out there, moving left and right, back and forth; all within a split second. Using the ship to bring your momentum to a sudden stop..." She sighed, recalling the battle that had played out before her over again in her mind. She wasn't sure if that was the specific moment this happened to his eye or not, but it certainly would not have helped.

"It is a tremendous stress on your body to fly like that, Amaury." The boy's uncovered eye lifted up to hers as she spoke, hearing what he assumed was disappointment in her voice. "I'm sorry." He replied, his eye following her as she finished wrapping his head and taped the bandage to keep it on. Unsure why he was apologizing she stared for a moment before shaking her head. "Don't apologize, you didn't do anything wrong." She replied, feeling now that she may have come off as scolding him, which was not her intention. "You and Geoff saved the _Tortuga_ and everyone on it. You saved me." With her trademark smile and a hint of blush she turned to walk towards a garbage can, throwing what was left from Amaury's eye away.

Amaury's mind focused on those last words. He saved her? Well, he did, but that was his job. He was supposed to intervene against any hostile mobile suits. Though, looking back, he could only recall worrying about her over the others. It wasn't that he didn't care about the others too; it was just easier for him to focus on her safety specifically, even if he didn't really quite understand why. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He stated without thinking, feeling foolish immediately after as she spun to look at him. Why did he say that? That could have easily gone unsaid, so why did he say it? Why did Carina make him trip over words when usually he was calm? Turning back towards the boy she stood still for a moment in surprise that he remembered his promise, having written it off as nothing more than just idle talk. So he really meant it then; that he was going to keep her safe? Surly he meant because she was his friend, just like he had commented before that he wanted to keep his friends safe. Right? "Y-Yes you did." She replied with a stutter after realizing that her brief look had turned into an extended stare, causing her face to darken.

"I-I didn't forget." She couldn't have forgotten his words even if she wanted to, having continued to echo in her head since he first said it. Throughout her entire life she had never received such comfort from anyone's words, but it wasn't just because of the words; it was because she believed him. "This may be silly, b-but," She began as she took a step towards him, taking her hands in one another as she approached the examination bed. "Your promise really helped me." The girl's eyes drifted to the side a bit, afraid that maybe his eye would set her on fire should he not agree. She had already told him once that she was afraid, and that still had not changed. If anything it had become worse seeing everything play out with her own eyes, knowing now that there was no way back to the way it was before. "I can't explain exactly w-why, b-but just knowing that if something goes wrong I can s-till count on you... it makes all of this stress and worry and fear…" She paused, feeling her face on fire as she swallowed nervously, hoping that all of this didn't come off as stupid. "I-It makes me feel safe." She finally finished after a brief moment though once again it did not come out exactly as she meant it, and immediately began to think of something else to say.

Watching her intently as she spoke and walked towards him she never left his sight. Hearing that his promise helped her brought a weird feeling to his chest, but as she better explained her thoughts, that flutter became a warm sensation that spread across his body. "Safe?" He questioned under his breath with a widened eye, though she did not hear him; the girl lost in her own thoughts as she looked away from him. Did his words truly mean that much to her? Why? He was just a friend; some boy she had met only a few months ago. Sure, over the past few weeks she had become a good friend to him, but was this the 'safe' feeling she meant; that of which is provided by a friend? He wouldn't dare ask her, fearing it would be inappropriate given their situation and her relationship status with Monty, whatever it was.

"I…" The boy began to answer cautiously, still looking up to the shy girl whose eyes turned back to his upon hearing him, widening at his reply. "I… I'm glad I'm-make you feel that way, Carina." Was that all he could think of to reply? She was saying so much more than that, and even though he had a hard time comprehending it all, Amaury understood he needed to say something more. "I just… I'm confused." He admitted, looking down at the floor in frustration, his hands gripping the edge of the examination table to his sides. The girl's head tilted to the side a bit, wondering what he meant. There was plenty to be confused about, as she too was confused, but what exactly did he mean? "What do you mean Amaury?" She questioned, walking over a taking a seat to his side, turned slightly towards him. His eye lifted and looked into hers again for a brief moment before returning to the ground. What was he supposed to say? He was _horrible_ when it came to understanding women, which was likely why he had remained alone for the majority of his life, and for the entirety of his adult life.

With a sigh, he finally decided on something to say, having spent a good thirty seconds trying not to allow his words to look like a crossword puzzle. "I can't be the only one who makes you feel safe, I mean… Monty…" He stopped, wondering if maybe mentioning Monty was a mistake. From their previous conversations he had assumed something between her and Monty was causing friction, and out of respect he had previously avoided the subject. Why, of all times, would he bring this up now? "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He whispered, looking away from her direction out of embarrassment.

Stunned by his question, the girl's eyes remained locked on him as she tried to comprehend what exactly he was looking for, her heart racing. Was he asking because he was nothing more than curious? Based on what she had overheard on the _Tortuga_ on the way Shoal Zone, it could be something else, but would she risk bringing it up? He didn't know that she had been there for the conversation he believed to have had in private. "No, don't say you are sorry. You can ask me anything, don't ever apologize for that." She replied, shaking her head in an attempt to pursued him that his question was alright, smiling briefly before turning her attention down to his hand in front of her.

"Me and Monty… it's strange. We first met a few weeks before you and I did, in a market on Dresden when I first came there, before I joined all of this. I was there on an internship to help maintain Dresden's infrastructure. He noticed based on my hoodie that I had been attending school at Von Braun City for mechanical engineering, and we talked for a while on the subject. Eventually he asked me to come to dinner with him that night, which I agreed to. I'm not sure what made me do it; maybe it was being new in Dresden and not knowing anyone, or maybe I just needed a bit of a break, feeling the same burden as most other Spacenoids following the events of the Dresden Massacre." As she spoke it was clear that she held some sort of deeper emotion for the events she spoke of. For many at Side 3, and across many of the colonies, the Dresden Massacre was a shocking revelation that even after nearly sixty five years and billions of lives lost; the Federation still had not changed. "But, that night he told me about The Movement, and about his dream of setting the colonies free from the Federation; a true chance at peace amongst the stars. He was quite persuasive, and after a few days of thinking it over, I decided to join the movement as well, coming to the very first interview session."

Looking back up for a brief second to gauge his curiosity she smiled half-heartedly before continuing, taking a deep breath. "A few weeks later Monty asked me out for dinner again, this time on a more personal matter. He asked to see me again, and before I knew it we were dating. I guess, it… like I said, being in a relationship with Monty is strange." She admitted, finding herself rambling a bit and avoiding the question at hand. "Monty is a very sweet individual most of the time, and he has a big heart. His dreams for the Movement are pure and genuine, and I do love that about him, but at the same time, there seems to be an invisible wall dividing us, which only seems to be worsening, if that makes sense." She paused, biting her cheek inside of her mouth as the formulated a way to go about this that wouldn't make her seem shallow or weird in her own right.

"He just… okay, for example, we've been together now for three months and have never even kissed. I'm not saying that I have to kiss him to feel close to him, it's just… that's weird right?" She questioned, looking to the boy whose eye shot back up to hers from its view on her hands, folded neatly on her lap. His face was still red, and with the subject matter at hand, he felt a bit uncomfortable. Staring for a moment or two, he swallowed nervously, knowing that an honest response would really be embarrassing. But as he had already promised himself, he would not lie to her. "I… I mean, I wouldn't know. I-I've never… r-really… kissed anyone." He admitted finally, his eye darting down to her hands again, avoiding whatever persecuting look she was casting towards him. In reality however, it wasn't much of a look of persecution was it was curiosity. At twenty three, how had he never kissed anyone before? There did not appear to be anything wrong with him that would keep a female from him; in fact if she had to say so, he was quite attractive to her eye.

"Oh, well…" The girl replied quietly, looking down as she rubbed her hand nervously on her wrist. "I guess what I'm trying to say, and to answer your question… is no." She stopped again, swallowing nervously once more as her eyes sought out his. "Nobody makes me feel safe like you do, Amaury." She admitted quietly in almost a whisper, her face a dark shade of red that spread from cheek to cheek, leaving the boy speechless. Did she really say that, and did she mean it? His eye wide he tried to focus on speaking at the same time as his mind was being flooded with a million thoughts, each one leading back to this girl and her revelation. "I…" He attempted to speak before stopping to swallow nervously. "I… don't know… w-what to say…" He finally admitted while his face remained burning up, truly unsure what to say. He needed to say something, but seeing him struggling to say something she shook her head. "You don't have to say anything." Carina replied quietly in a soft voice a she place her hand near his on the edge of the exam table, a smile slowly forming across the boy's lips. This kind of connection with someone was new to her, and she wasn't sure what exactly was happening between the two of them, but it was clear that he too was confused and unsure what exactly he felt on the inside.

After a few seconds of silence, Carina brushed a loose hair behind her ear and looked down to their hands on exam table, so close from touching that she swore she could feel the heat from his fingers. "Amaury," She called his name, looking back up with a curious look. "Can I ask you a question?" She inquired, still curious about what he had said about never having kissed someone. She had known him well enough to understand that he had been alone for some time; his father having died in the First Neo-Zeon War and his mother having left for Earth when he was just fourteen, but from that point until they met was still a mystery to her. He had once stated to her that he had done things in Dresden to survive and had always refrained from asking, but now she wanted to know.

Amaury smiled and nodded, adjusting himself better so that he was facing towards her more. "Of course, you can ask anything." He replied with a small laugh, copying what she had said only a few minutes before, which in turn caused her too to giggle a small bit before regaining her composure to ask her question. "I know you've mentioned your father and your mother, but never in detail. What… what happened? How did you survive, and how did you end up here?" She asked, as the boy's smile seemed to fade a bit. She wanted to know about his past; a question that he knew he would have to explain to her one day, but hoped that day would never come. He did not wish to lie to her, but could he really stand to see her opinion of him change once she knew the truth? She was educated, intelligent, and kind hearted, something that he was not.

Seeing his hesitation Carina frowned as well, fearing that she may have crossed a line by asking the question, but before she could retract the question he began to speak, his eye back down to the floor. If he was going to explain, he would start from the beginning. "Though I never met my father, my mother used to tell me all about him. She said he was a brave, honorable man. They met during the One Year War; she was an officer in Dozle Zabi's fleet, and my father was one of the original Zeon mobile suit pilots. They survived the war and married a short time afterwards while working to help build a home for what was left of Zeon on Axis, where they lived at the time of the First Neo Zeon war, eight years later. At the start of the war my father rushed to join the fight, while my mother, who had recently discovered she was pregnant with me, stayed behind." Amaury paused to take a breath, his eye skimming across the panels in the floor as he remembered all of the details his mother had told him. They were fuzzy, having been so long ago, but he remembered the most important details well.

"My father was killed during the Zeon civil war between Glemy Toto and Haman Karn, before I was born. Still living on the besieged Axis at the time, my mother fled to Dresden and Side 3. She told me that when he died so senselessly for a fading dream, it broke her will to fight. Once in Dresden she picked up a job in a local grocery store, and gave birth to me. Throughout my life we made due; nothing extravagant but we certainly could have been worse off." A small smile drifted across the boy's face, remember his mother's smile and how she would often cook dinner, ready for when he would return home from school, his smile dissipating as he moved forward with his story, wishing that this part had never occurred even to this day.

"When I was fourteen my mother left, leaving me alone on Dresden. There was no waring, no explanation; I came home from school and she was just gone. She had always spoke of returning home, but where that was, or if that was even where she went… I don't know." He added as Carina stomach turned. "Amaury…" She interjected, but he continued anyway. "I couldn't work, and with no other family that I am aware of, it wasn't long before… well, before I ended up living on the street." His voice now too lowered towards the end of his sentence, ashamed of what he was admitting to.

"I tried to remain in school, but it was difficult to do homework under an overpass, so very soon afterwards that was gone as well. There were others like me, most of which tended to stick to themselves, but from watching them I learned how to survive. To eat, I began stealing food from the same grocery store my mother worked for and some other places around the district I lived in, and I got pretty good at it. You learn quickly when your meals depend on it. Eventually my ability at smuggling things caught the eye of some… unsavory characters, who had offered me a deal I couldn't refuse; help them, and I wouldn't have to steal to survive. I learned pretty quickly that a dollar earned was truly a dollar earned, no matter what I had to do to get it. From drugs to weapons, they used me for everything; stuffing a backpack full and sending me all over the colony, though I never got to leave. The money wasn't great, but being able to eat reliably and afford at least a single room to sleep in was all I could ask for." He paused, knowing that his statement must have seemed selfish; he knew very well that more often than not what he was carrying was either intended to hurt someone, or would cause self-harm, but given the circumstances it was do or die, much like now, out here in space hauling around two naval vessels worth of stolen weapons. From how he was speaking she must have known that he was ashamed of all of this, making sure that he remained quiet enough for nobody else to here, but could she understand that?

Nervously he reached up and rubbed the side of his cheek that she had partially bandaged, stopping for a brief moment. Did he want to admit the rest? His eye nervously drifted up to see where hers lay, but before he made contact he looked back down, too afraid to read her facial expression in fear that it may be one of disgust, or even anger. He had come this far, and the damage had mostly been done; he might as well finish his story. "That lasted for a while, but eventually the jobs stopped coming, and for the past few years I was between the street and a hotel room, depending on how much work I caught. When I didn't catch work, I… I resorted to stealing from the people who walked past me on the street every day, just to eat. Typically I didn't steal from those who… didn't… deserve it, but sometimes…" He trailed off, remembering a few times where he was forced to steal form those who truly didn't deserve it; his only bit of recourse being that he had never hurt any of them.

"The day of the Massacre I was down at the protests, scouting out my next meal ticket. But as I listened I became interested in the message that those involved were trying to spread; that the Federation had failed the Colonies and it was time for change. I was amazed; having seen what I had always assumed was just a failed society in Dresden, people of all walks of life came together and stood beside one another. And in that moment, with the opening scores of violence and the attack on the federation mobile suits, I watched as all of those people died together…" Even months later the sound of the gunfire and screams still lingered inside of his head; himself having been lucky to have escaped alive as the ensuing mobile suit battle engulfed the district around him. Lifting his head, he turned to her without hesitation or fear for what she may think, looking her directly in her eyes, though he remained oblivious to the emotion across her face.

"That day I decided that I wasn't just going to get by anymore; I decided that I wasn't going to prey on the people living in space. I was going to make a difference." His eye shifted down to the floor again as he sighed, the fear of her changed perception of him now reforming in his mind with his story's end. She had to have now thought of him exactly how he often viewed himself; a lowlife criminal trying to make up for his wrong doing. "I understand if you think less of me, or even hate me. Looking back on it all I hate myself too. I'm a criminal. and doing all of this, joining the Movement, was originally my way to try and fix what has been done… though it has become more than that now…" He trailed off, unsure what else to say.

The boy's story had not been what Carina had expected at all, and as the story drew further along, she found an unexpected emptiness growing inside of her as if the pain the boy had experienced absorbed into her heart. She may have had some issues during her childhood but they were nothing like this. How could his mother just leave him alone at such a young age? What was the reason? To Carina the reason didn't matter; it wasn't right and she could never imagine leaving her child alone to fend for himself, especially knowing they would end up living on the streets. At first mention of having to resort to crime, she had to admit she was a bit stunned that the boy she had grown close to could resort to such things, but the more he explained, the more she understood that he really did not have a choice. If Amaury wouldn't have done those things he surely would have starved to death in the streets.

On top of it he had never mentioned before that he was present at the Dresden Massacre, and although the event shook everyone in the colonies, it was clear by the sound of his voice that witnessing it was truly horrifying. His belief that she could hate him however was the most shocking of all, and upon seeing just how disheartened he was because of the whole ordeal, she frowned. Even with the things he had done, she knew that his remorse was genuine, and if he had not needed to do such things he wouldn't have. Slowly her hand inched the rest of the way towards him until her fingers lay across his, causing the boy's head to turn and his vision to drop down to his hand. Knowing now what he had gone through explained a lot about him; from his earlier statement that he had never kissed anyone to the way that he always seemed to act so reserved around her, it was all making more sense. But knowing this she was even more captivated by his capacity to be sincere and warm, especially to someone like herself who had grown up in such an opposite environment.

"I don't hate you, Amaury." She replied while smiling up at him, her cheeks rose red again. "All of those things you did were all because you had to, not because you wanted to. You had no choice." She said softly as the boy stared, captivated by her words. She really didn't think anything less of him, despite the fact that he admitted to being nothing more than a criminal before The Movement? How could that be? "It doesn't change my opinion of you. At least, not in a negative way." She added with a smile, gently squeezing his hand as he finally smiled again, his face now matching hers. What was this? These little exchanges that kept happening between them were so frequent the last few days that he had grown to look forward to them for whatever reason. And what did she mean by not in a negative way? She thought more of him for all of that? "I-I hope n-not…" Amaury finally replied after their mutual stare, looking down in embarrassment as they continued to hold hands, both hearts racing one another at the warmth of their hands. Was she supposed to pull his hand away? Was he? Neither wished to do so, causing their little embrace lasted for a few seconds longer, footsteps approaching quickly up the hallway outside.

Caught in the moment, neither of them had noticed until those making the footsteps revealed themselves; Monty, Geoff and the newcomer, Elise. Stepping into the room, Monty's eyes caught a brief glimpse of the two holding hands before each retracted away and stood to their feet. Knowing that he had seen, both Carina and Amaury stared at Monty who for a brief moment held the stare back. Swallowing nervously Amaury's ears rang loud inside of his head, awaiting Monty's wrath; holding someone else's girlfriend's hand was not a common thing to do, especially when that someone was your superior. His face remained still, caught in the mid-sentence pose he had maintained while entering the room, before smirking, much to their surprise.

"And, here they are!" He exclaimed with a single laugh, motioning towards the two for Elise to see in an introductory manner. "Elise, this here is 1st Lieutenant Carina Hughes, our chief engineer and my lovely significant other. Carina's parents worked on some of the first mobile suits ever designed. " Monty stated with a sharp tone, specifically designing it to sting a bit against the two who sat in front of him, his vision shifting to the currently one-eyed boy next to her. "And this is Petty Officer 1st Class Amaury Dietrich, one of our best pilots. I believe you watched him on the deck of the _Julieta_ , if I am not mistaken." At Monty's mention of the boy, the Elise's gaze shifted to him, and once again he could feel her vision dragging him in. "I did. Moderately impressive, though I question why you seem to be hell bent on self-destruction. I see you've already experienced a subconjunctival hemorrhage; likely from slamming into the deck of the ship, or possibly before with all of those high speed, 'on the dime' turns you were conducting." She stated as Amaury seemed confused. What was that supposed to mean?

"I'm not sure I understand, Ma'am." He replied as Elise immediately shook her head, a bit annoyed both by the boy's ignorance to what she mean as well as the dislike of being referred to as 'ma'am'. Crossing her arms over her chest she audibly sighed, looking back to the young soldier in front of her. "Your eye. It's called a subconjunctival hemorrhage; bleeding under the conjunctiva; or the white part of your eye. Out here they are from extreme G-Force exposure. Do you want to blind yourself? You wouldn't be much use then, would you?" She stated back in a chastising manner as Amaury stood still. If protecting his friends meant going blind, he would gladly do so, and besides, thanks to Carina he already knew about this. Knowing however that Elise held some sort of significance within The Movement, the boy did not attempt to explain or defend himself, something he had grown use to throughout his childhood.

However, Carina was not pleased with the way in which Elise spoke to her friend, and although it may have been in part due to the recent understanding of Amaury's past or charged with whatever the feelings she experienced for the boy were, she stepped forward a bit, drawing Elise's attention. "I've already explained to him what exactly happened. He understands just fine, you don't have to yell at him." She sternly replied, standing straight up in an attempt to challenge the girl's authority, which to Carina was almost non-existent. Her arms still crossed, Elise stared back down at the shorter girl, her blue eyes appearing cold and unfeeling. Sensing a heated exchange about to erupt between Carina and Elise, and noticing that Monty had yet to do anything to alleviate the situation, Geoff took a step between the two of them, looking to Elise and then to Carina.

"Alright, alright. Let's just calm down, as I'm sure that the both of you are just looking out for Amaury's well-being." He interjected before looking to Monty, who almost seemed to be receiving some level of enjoyment from it. "Right?" He asked his friend who turned to him and after a second or two and nodded. "He's right." Monty finally replied, looking to the boy and jokingly hitting his arm. "Looks like you've got two fans today, eh?" He laughed, though Amaury did not. "Yeah, right." He simply agreed, looking back to Carina as Monty continued to laugh, then down to the ground in front of him; all the while Carina continued to stare down Elise who, upon becoming bored not wishing to escalate a situation that her hosts had instructed to end, sighed. "Whatever. Just keep putting the solution in your eye or you will go blind." She stated, turning to Carina and then to the door, walking towards the hallway as Monty followed. "Carina, take care of our boy there while we continue to inspect our new carriers. Don't let him pick at it." He instructed with a small laugh, but as he prepared to leave the view of the doorway, he turned his head just enough to glare at Amaury for a split second before disappearing into the hallway behind Elise.

A brief moment after they had left, Geoff turned to the two, focusing on Carina, surprised that such a timid and seemingly shy girl had it in her. "I-I'm sorry, I just… the way she was talking to him…" She tried to explain her actions as Geoff continued to stare. "Relax. You were right, she was out of line. As of right now she is not one of us and she bares no authority over Amaury, you or me." Looking to Amaury who stood on the other side of Carina, Geoff could see that something was troubling him, watching as he continued to stare down at the ground. "You alright Amaury?" He asked, Carina turning to see what was wrong with him as well as his head lifted to the two of them, his good eye switching between the two of them. "Yes sir." He replied, focusing back to Carina again. He smiled a tiny bit, hoping she understood just how much he appreciated it, and judging by the smile she returned, she did.

"Good." Geoff stated, looking to the door, knowing that he was due to catch up with them to continue the inspection of the fleet. "You did well today Amaury. Get something to eat and some rest though, I know you are tired. We are set to head out for deep space in a few hours, so make sure you get whatever you need from the _Tortuga_." He added as he too walked towards the door, stopping at the frame and turning back to the two of them. "And also, if I have to hear about _whatever_ is going on between you two from Monty, I will make Amaury run laps around the hanger with full gravity turned on until his legs fall off. I hate listening to him bitch." He joked with a small grin, a rare occurrence for him, forcing the two of them to blush. "See you guys soon." And with that Geoff left to find where Monty and Elise had disappeared to, leaving the two of them alone in the infirmary again.

The two stood in silence for a moment before Carina turned to Amaury, her face as red as could be because of her little outburst against the pushy girl. "I… I'm sorry. I know you are capable of defending yourself, I just… I don't know what came over me." She admitted as they boy turned to her and smiled, his own face darkened. "Are you kidding me? I don't think anyone has ever stood up for me like that." Amaury replied, looking down with his good eye to the nervous way she held her hands. "Thank you." His thanks caused her to shake her head with a smile. "Are you kidding me?" She replied with a giggle, clearly copying what he had said before looking back to the door with a bit of apprehension.

Seeing this Amaury too looked towards the bulkhead, knowing that the same thing was probably on both of their minds. Monty had seen them hold hands, yet his reaction was not what a normal person would have probably done. What did that mean? "Monty…" Amaury said quietly to which Carina shook her head. "I know. I… I will talk to him. I mean, it was just… holding hands. We are just friends, right?" She asked while looking up to the boy who nodded in agreement, though his heart was not entirely behind his answer. Was that still what they were? He wasn't so sure anymore, as he knew this wasn't the same kind of unexplainable connection shared between all friends, but at the same time understanding almost any of what he felt.

"Good friends." Amaury replied despite the confusion, the both of them blushing as he did so. "Good friends." The girl repeated as if to seal the deal, turning back to the door. "You really should go get your things and head to one of the ships. Grab a meal, find a bunk, and sleep. You need to rest, and that eye needs to heal. I'd join you but… given the situation, it may not be best tonight. Rain check?" She said with small frown, knowing that part of their agreement before Duality was that they would all eat dinner together that night, even if it was symbolic. But the boy understood, and with a nod he turned to the door, walking towards it. "Absolutely. If you need me, come find me." He replied, knowing that Monty could be a difficult character to deal with, especially when he was unhappy. Smiling, she waved to him as he exited the room, leaving him to go about his business as she set off on her own, her thoughts even more clouded than before.

Just as Geoff had staid, less than two hours later the _Tortuga_ began its journey back to Dresden with its additional crew of five and seven critically wounded soldiers from Duality. Once there, they were to pick up the rest of the maintenance division and bring them back to the fleet in deep space. Meanwhile the remaining one hundred crewmen were split between the _Julieta_ and the _Queen Mary_ , now renamed the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ respectively; given their names from two of the most iconic revolutions ever to place in human history and the decision to keep the names of any Zeon leader from their vessels. Amaury, Marcus, and Sam were all placed under Geoff's command onboard the _Warsaw_ , while Carina and Elise were placed under Monty onboard the _Bastille_ , which would be acting as the assembly ship for mobile suits. Though he still didn't understand Elise's presence, it had to be relevant to the plan, which was to continue as originally designed; they would head out into deep space and begin to amass and further train their forces before bringing their army back to Side 3 to liberate the colonies from the Federation, or that was the heart of the plan at least. It would be much harder and way less simple.

After grabbing something to eat the boy went out and found a bunk room aboard the _Warsaw_ , claiming a smaller one with only four bunks for himself and his compatriots, right near one of the entrances to the hanger; that way should need be they could scramble faster. Lying down as instructed, he looked around at the empty bunks and sighed. Marcus was still being stitched and treated accordingly now in the medical bay, and Sam was… well, somewhere helping out. There was much to do, and if it had not been for his eye and being ordered to relax by his commanding officer, he would be out there too. Even though he was tired, he found himself instead staring at the ceiling of the room, lost in thought. According to Monty the reason why Carina was placed onboard the _Bastille_ was due to the ship's status as a factory ship. Until the rest of the maintenance crews arrive, at which point both ships would be capable of repairing, rearming and constructing new suits from the parts they had acquired, the Bastille was the lifeline of the fleet. Though the boy did not buy it, feeling deep down inside that this was some kind of way to keep the two friends separated following Monty's discovery of just how close they were becoming. The thought that Monty would act such a way angered him, but at the same time, he could understand why he would do such a thing. If Carina was his, he wouldn't want Monty snooping around. But they were just friends, right? He didn't know, and just the thought of everything that had happened today was overwhelming, and way too much to process, and he found it funny that for how frantic his thoughts were in that room with Carina, they were nothing compared to how he felt now. With another sigh he rolled onto his side, facing the wall of the bunk and pulling a blanket up over himself in an attempt to force himself to sleep. He needed the rest, for who knew what else space had in store for them.


	10. Chapter 10: Property

Two and a half days after Operation Duality and their departure from the Shoal Zone the fleet continued to head out into deep space, using Mars as a navigational marker to drive themself further away from the Earth's Sphere in an attempt to buy themselves precious time. All personnel not directly involved in maintaining that course were on work rotation, switching every eight hours between working to prepare the fleet for the upcoming revolution and resting, guaranteeing that they would maintain an effective workforce while not burning themselves out. As in the original plan Carina was placed in charge during this inter-operational period, focusing all efforts into setting up a respectable fleet to overpower Side 3's defenders; a task she took very serious, causing her to spend almost every second she could working.

This feeling was shared by nearly everyone, including Amaury, who remained so busy that there was little room for talking amongst his friends save Marcus and Sam since they were living in the same bunk room as well as on the same work shift. This included Carina who, despite his better judgment telling him he should remain focused on their mission, seemed to be the focus of his thoughts. Without their daily conversations he felt a sense of loss, and deep inside he couldn't help but wonder about her conversation had Monty had gone. He was able to speak with her a few times briefly between shift change, but amongst the crowd of fellow soldiers coming onto shift, he felt that the rather sensitive subject should be left unspoken, and no matter how long they were able to speak it never seemed to be enough.

Reporting to the hanger of the _Bastille_ in the early evening of the second day, Amaury looked around for Carina at shift change, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. Knowing that she had been basically working herself to death over the past two days, the by grew slightly concerned, and pulled someone aside that he was familiar with; Tome, a female pilot that was assigned to Monty's raiding party during Duality. "Tome!" He called out with a small grin, waiting for her to wave back, her dark curly hair standing out against her tawny-beige skin tone as it remained tied behind in a bun. "Hey dude, how's your eye?" Tome asked as Amaury shrugged, still looking around the room in search of the girl. Having still not spotted her he looked back with a bit of a concerned expression across his face. "It's getting better, not fast enough though. Have you seen Carina?" He asked as she shook her head, pointing a few mobile suits down in the bay where a blue Zaku similar to the one piloted by Monty during operation Duality sat.

"Last time I saw her she was working on that mobile suit. Start there, she has to be around here somewhere." Tome replied as Amaury smiled and thanked her, heading for the Zaku she had pointed at. Gravity had been disabled in the hangers in an effort to save energy as well as for easy of assembling the mobile suits, so the boy was easily able to kick off of the hanger floor and head right towards the Zaku. As he approached he looked all around on the outside, but couldn't seem to spot the girl anywhere. "Carina?" He called out at a normal volume, not wanting to yell too loudly and scare her should she be working on something.

Approaching the opened cockpit, which on this model dropped out and down like most Federation mobile suits opposed to the 'sliding door' type on the original Zaku model, he planted his feet and looked inside. Pausing for a second, a smile slowly crept over his features as inside sat Carina, fast asleep in the cockpit, which had to be the most uncomfortable bed in the universe, a her pen tucked behind her ear and a manual laying across her chest. She really had been working hard, hadn't she? Knowing that if she had woken up she would likely just return to working and not wanting her to strain herself any harder, Amaury decided to let her sleep. She wasn't supposed to be working anyway, so really wasn't any reason to wake her up.

He did however notice that it was a bit cold in the hanger and without hesitation he pulled the jacket he had been wearing over his flight suit off and, carefully to ensure he didn't wake her, laid it over top of her. Backing out of the cockpit he turned on the 'night light' inside the cockpit and closed the door almost the whole way to keep the sound out. Floating back from the machine's torso he looked up at its head, noting that this definitely was not a normal a Zaku, though he was oblivious as to what it might be exactly. Looking down however he noted that it was their shift's coordinator, a man by the name of Reo Ishutari, was assembling the crew for their assignments for the night, and knew that he would be looking for him. Kicking off of the Zaku he floated down towards him, spinning around right before he was to land so that he would land on his feet.

"Oh hey, good morning sir. Well, good afternoon I should say." Reo greeted the boy as he landed, causing Amaury to smirk and shake his head. "Reo, you don't have to call me sir." He replied, to which Rou pointed at him with his pen. "Actually I kind of do, as technically you do outrank me. I do it to everyone, not just you." Reo replied as Marcus stepped forward from behind Amaury, as well as Sam. "I mean, I kind of like it." Marcus replied with a sarcastic laugh, his arm still in a sling, just as Amaury's eye remained bandaged. "Of course you would, it only better serves to inflate your ego." Sam cocked off with followed by a laugh as a few others joined, Marcus staring the boy down sarcastically. "Oh yeah? Keep it up and I'm going to shoot you in the ass with a rivet gun!" Marcus yelled as Amaury spoke up as well. "Yeah that is true, how was it that we assumed Sam would die first, and yet both of us are wounded and he isn't?" Amaury asked as Marcus laughed as did the crowd, causing the blonde haired boy to cross his arms.

"Alright guys settle down, we need to get to work. Here's what we are going to be doing tonight." Reo stated as he began to explain what the plan was for the night, handing out each individual order on a piece of paper to the crew before dismissing them to perform the task, the more technically inclined receiving the more sensitive work while the others worked on tasks to suit their know-how.

The tasks ranged from impossibly complex to tediously simple; from loading ammunition into magazines to sorting through the massive piles of scrapped parts. It all needed to be done. The first shift of the day would typically consist of taking in scrap from the _Warsaw_ , brought over in the hold of a small shuttle that was discovered inside of the old _Julieta_ 's hanger, piling it somewhat neatly into piles and sorting through it all. It was then logged and stored in an acceptable location where it could easily be found. That way when the engineers were working on the mobile suits on second and third shift, they could easily locate any parts they may need. The _Warsaw'_ s hanger was almost cleared completely out, and they had begun moving the few mobile suits they had finished repairing over to it.

Amaury's task for the night split in two different tasks, the first being to helping Marcus load the large 120mm ammunition into the large pan-style magazines, accomplished by flipping the magazine upside down with a machine, placing the ammunition one by one in their spot, and then using another machine to press the round down into place with a hydraulic press. This was not the way it was done during the war, but without the proper equipment, this is how they had to do it. Since Marcus could not left with his wounded arm even in space under their doctor's orders, he stood around and operated the ram and lift while Amaury lifted the 60lb rounds into place. Luckily the gravity had been disabled, for if not Amaury's back would have surely been broken, though he still did work up a sweat, causing him to unzip his jumpsuit and pull his arms free, tying the upper part around his waist while his torso remain covered by the t-shirt he wore beneath it.

His second task of the night would involve moving mobile suits for the engineers, which involved a lot of sitting and waiting around for tasks, but it wasn't so bad. It allowed him to familiarize himself better with the controls, and also gave him to stop and take a break for something to eat. After moving a headless, armless Zaku II F2 to a workshop station for retrofitting, Amaury went on break. Seeking out the crewman who would bring food for their break, he grabbed two sandwiches and two bottles of water; one of each for both him and Carina and headed back to where he had left her, sleeping in the Zaku. Since they never had that dinner, he thought it may be a nice surprise for her if showed up with something for them to eat, although he hoped she wouldn't be mad. Slowly coming to a stop on the top of its chest he sat the food down and stretched, yawning in the process.

These work rotations were wreaking havoc on his sleep cycle, and there wasn't a single moment that he didn't feel tired over the past three days. Looking over to the food he had grabbed for the two them, he contemplated waking her up so that she could eat too. But without knowing exactly how things were between her and Monty and not wanting to make anything worse his better judgment caught him, and he instead sat down and opened his own food container before picking it up in his hand and taking a bite. It was just a simple sandwich, but the crewmen that were assigned to keeping both crews fed understood their nutritional needs clearly, making it a rather hearty sandwich. And after a day's work, it tasted perfect. Looking out at the others who continued to work he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment; a week ago they had nothing except an abandoned, decrepit building and hope, while now they had two massive vessels, a whole slew of mobile suits and the means of which to turn that hope into change.

In the cockpit below Carina stirred, opening her eyes slowly to see the inside of the Zaku's cockpit. Did she fall asleep? She knew that she was tired, but she didn't realize that she was _that_ tired. Stretching her arms a bit she stopped, noticing that the cockpit door was shut almost all the way, and that the 'nightlight' on, both of which she did not do. Someone knew she was in there sleeping? Why didn't they wake her up? She could have been working this whole time! With a huff she began to sit up, realizing now that there was something on top of her; a jacket. Did Monty find her there and do this? It didn't seem like something he would do, or at least she had never seen him do something like this for her. Plus, she had never seen this jacket before. Grey in color and bearing the name of some local rock band on the back and several miscellaneous patches on the sleeves, it had obviously been worn quite a bit, but that didn't take away from its comfort. Thinking for only a brief moment more she realized who the only other person it could belong to, and draping the jacket over her shoulders she opened the cockpit hatch to confirm her suspicion. Stepping out onto the hatch, she immediately looked down to the deck of the hanger at the next shift while they worked. From above, and almost as if he could feel her standing there, the boy's head turned to her, seeing her standing and looking down to below.

"Well good morning!" He called out as she turned to look, immediately smiling once her eyes lay on the boy. So she was right with her guess, it was Amaury. She should have known right away that based on such a kind hearted gesture it was him, knowing well that he was capable and prone to such things. "Hey!" She called back, floating up to him as he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the top of the suit with him. "I brought you something to eat. You are probably starving." He replied, handing her a sandwich and a bottle of water, the girl a bit surprised as her hands reached out to take the items. "Is this to make up for my broken promise of dinner?" She asked with a smile, causing the boy to laugh a bit. "Well, originally I had thought about that too. But I figured with what happened the other day, and without talking to you first, that it wasn't such a good idea." His reply forced her smile to fade, but after a moment she sat down next to him and setting the book that was still in her hand to the side, leaving the boy a bit surprised. Monty wasn't upset at all about their friendship? "I would like that actually." She replied with a smile as she opened her own food, thinking the same thing about the size and quality of the food, especially after how long she had been in this hanger.

"Are you sure this is okay?" He asked her quietly, his good eye shifting around the hanger for any sign of Monty, just in case; not a big fan of being struck with a thrown wrench. Or a bullet, for that matter. "Yes Amaury, don't worry." She replied as she took a bite of her food, releasing a hum of great enjoyment as she did so as the boy laughed. "I just don't want to get you in trouble. He can be mad at me all he wants, but I would feel pretty shitty if he took it out on you." He spoke right as he took another bite of his own food, watching as Marcus and Sam below moved the completed magazines to a storage rack across from them. "Well, he and I are fighting anyway, so he can be mad all he wants. He has barely spoken to me in two days, though he doesn't seem too upset about it, so why should I care?" She replied with a half hearted smile, which the boy could see clear. No matter how she tried to hide it, he knew when she was upset and knowing he was part of the reason caused his stomach to turn. In all reality he was likely the entirety of the problem, and although he was preparing to apologize, she stopped him as his mouth opened to speak.

"Don't even think about apologizing!" She stated as she pointed her finger at him, almost touching his face as she continued to eat her food, which held her full attention. She was stern at first but with a look from the corner of her eye, her expression softened. "I know you too well by now Amaury." She joked with a light blush, laughing as Amaury did the same. She really must have known him well if she was able to predict that an apology was about to happen. "Yeah, that's what got us in this mess to begin with." He joked, the girl's face blushing darker as she nodded. Taking a drink of his water he shifted himself to face her, his eye briefly looking up to the Zaku's head behind her. "Just… remember if you need me I am here." He stated softly, feeling the need to make sure she could still turn to him, though she didn't need the reminder. She smiled and nodded, finding it rude to reply with her mouth stuffed with food. "I'll never forget that." She whispered back, the both of them blushing before she took notice that she still had his jacket draped over her shoulders and that he was wearing short sleeves in the cold hanger, despite the fact that he had his jumpsuit tied around his waist.

"Here, your jacket." She began to pull it from her shoulders before he shook his head. "No, it's okay. You looked cold, so… I covered you with it. You can wear it." The boy nervously replied, unsure if the gesture was too much, but based on the smile across her face he knew it she must have appreciated it. "Thank you." She replied sheepishly, unsure at first but pulling it back over her shoulders anyway. He was right, she was cold and she did appreciate the warmth it had provided, though subconsciously the fact that it was his seemed to make it much warmer.

Amaury looked away with a smile on his face knowing he did the right thing, turning up to the head of the Zaku behind her. "What's the story with this Zaku? It doesn't look like anything from the archives or the manuals we have. Is it just that scrapped together?" He asked, looking down at the cockpit that she had exited from. "Even the cockpit is weird." Swallowing her bite of food and taking her own drink she shook her head, clearing her throat as she handed him the book she had been reading when she fell asleep. "It's actually mostly intact, save for some parts from Zaku F2's. It's a Federation MS-11; a clone of an experimental Zaku developed during the war that was captured and reverse engineered. They joints are magnetically coated, causing the joints to oppose each other and allow less friction during movement. The end result was a machine that was quicker and much more agile, while also receiving a boost in armor." She began to explain, placing what was left of her food back in the container and standing up, Amaury skimming through the small documented she handed to him. He hadn't really thought about it until now, probably from the rush of the moment and the need to focus on survival, but the Zaku II really did not seem to handle entirely well. From the statistics written in front of him, a comparative display between the MS-11 and a Zaku II, he could tell it was definitely an improvement. Standing up next to her the boy handed the book back and floated towards the head unit, which was different than the one pictured.

"Of course, I had to add my own improvements to give it a bit of an updated touch, since the design itself is close to thirty years old. Improved boosters, an updated drive system; basic things." She teased, recalling the first day they had met, looking past the boy to two more identical units being constructed, one of which was almost finished while the other still missed its entire upper torso. "I call it the RMS-11 Zakum, the little 'm' on the end helping signify its mobility boost. From the parts we have salvaged and inventoried so far, I think we can make at least two more besides these three. We will just need to test them to make sure they perform well enough to be considered a successful modification. That being said, tonight when you guys are finished, these three will be alright to go into _Warsaw_ 's hanger and outfitted for combat; just so we have something to defend ourselves with. I had planned to stay until then, but I just… I'm so tired Amaury." She said with a yawn, rubbing one of her eyes with her hand. She really should go lie down and rest a bit, unsure if in an exhausted state she could continue to effectively design updates and modifications; something the lives of her friends depended on. Turning to Amaury she frowned, not really wanting to end their little lunch meeting.

"Can you make sure that gets done?" She asked with a pretend pout to try and win the boy over, though she didn't have to try hard. Smiling with a blush, the boy nodded. "Yes ma'am." He replied, causing her to punch his arm lightly. "Don't call me that!" She yelled as Amaury laughed, rubbing his arm and watching as she floated towards him, passing him by before wrapping her arms around his neck from behind, hugging him tightly. Experiencing a moment of slow motion once again, Amaury's face flushed red at the gesture. "H-Hey!" He nervously replied, though the wide smile across his face expressed just how much he did not mind the hug. "Thank you!" The girl exclaimed before letting go and floating away from him, her leftover lunch in hand. "I'll see you later!" She called out, floating towards the nearest hanger entrance as he waved back, wishing their meeting didn't have to end so soon. But he knew that she needed rest and with how hard she had been working, she deserved it.

"That doesn't bother you in the least bit?" Elise turned and asked Monty, who unbeknownst to either Carina or Amaury watched the whole thing from the flight control bridge above the hanger, leaning on the console in front of him to look down. "Nah," the man replied, stepping back from the window and leaning on console behind him as he turned to the woman. "Carina's a nice girl, but there are much _nicer_ fish in the sea." He replied with a sly look, Elise looking away from him and crossing her arms. She wasn't sure if he was referring to her or not, but she really hoped that was not the case, showing not even the slightest hint of interest. "Plus, you gotta keep someone as important as her on a short leash; keep her focused. And what better way to do that than to keep her tied down?" Monty asked out loud, watching as a crane moved above them, lifting the missing upper torso towards the rest of the third Zakum. Not one for idle chatter, or for this man's gloating, Elise sighed and looked out the window at the mobile suit being assembled.

"What is the next step in the plan here? These kids can fly, but do you plan to take on the entire Federation with two veterans, six kids and a bunch mobile suits held together with duct tape?" She asked with a bit of annoyance in her voice, the sound of which caused Monty to laugh a bit. "You are very impatient, you know that Elise? You forget that we are not the only group of Zeon Reformation rebels out there, and like us, they too are itching for a fight. Don't worry; the plan will come together in time. Right now we need to focus on getting everyone ready to fight." Monty replied, turning and walking towards the control room exit, turning back to look over his shoulder at her. "Feel free to help out where you can." He stated as she scoffed and looked away from him, her arms still crossed.

"I'm not going to train your brats for you." She replied, the man laughing once again as he headed for the bridge of the ship to check on their status while Elise remained behind. Her eyes searched around the hangar bays, scanning face to face until finding Amaury, who climbed into the hatch of an incomplete GM in need of moving. So far he was the only rookie she had seen fly, and she really was not all that impressed. However, despite her mediocre opinion of his performance, his Newtype presence was immense, though she couldn't understand why. He didn't seem like anything special, yet she could notice his existence much more than any of the other Newtypes on the ship. There had to be a reason, but until that reason was revealed, she would not seek it out. She was there for one purpose, and for that one purpose she would remain neutral.

As Carina had asked of him, Amaury assisted in moving the two completed Zakums over to the _Warsaw_ at the end of his shift; Amaury bringing the first while Sam brought the second. They were not permitted to fly the craft outside from the path from the _Bastille_ to the _Warsaw_ , but just from the little bit he had flown the Zakum, he was impressed. Just as she had said, the Zakum excelled significantly past the Zaku at almost every aspect of flight in space, at least at low speed. A third suit was intended to come over, however due to some technical issues it was not completed in time by the end of the shift, and was scheduled to be completed at some point during the night. With the suits now being prepared for combat, Amaury and the rest of his shift went about their 'relaxation' shift; eating dinner, showering, some of them even playing card games and gambling in the mess hall. Amaury however was tired, and with still so much on his mind, he decided that it was best to simply shower and get some rest. Lying in his bunk, he looked across to Marcus who had just come in the room.

"How's the arm?" He asked as Marcus jumped, not realizing that Amaury was in the dark bunkroom. "Hey. It's getting better, though it's still no good for piloting. How about your eye?" He asked in return as Amaury yawned. "It's still red. The solution Carina gave me is almost gone, so another day or two and I'll be good; won't need to bandage it anymore or anything, which is good. Flying with one eye is a bitch." The boy replied as Marcus laughed lightly. "Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't stepped on anyone with a suit yet like that." He answered as Amaury shook his head with a grin. "I'm not that bad and piloting. Speaking of being bad at piloting, any idea where Sam is?" He joked, folding his arms behind his head as he closed his eye. "He's on a date, believe it or not. Of course, he didn't ask Tome, she asked him. Something about taking their dinner out to the rear of the ship." Marcus answered as Amaury remained silent for a moment, almost asleep in that short period of time before Marcus answered, his eye opening wide when he realized just what Marcus had said.

"Get the fuck out of here!" He exclaimed in shock, quickly shooting up to a sitting position to look at Marcus, who filled the room with laughed at Amaury's response. Tome? Tome had an interest in Sam? He could have never, ever guessed that; not even with a million chances. "I swear, I'm not making this up!" Marcus defended himself as Amaury shook his head. "How did that happen? I mean, look at Tome, and then Sam. It doesn't make sense. She is so upbeat and calm headed, while he's just… Sam!" Amaury bullshitted as Marcus pointed at him. "Really? You are going to question _that_ pairing? You have the hots for Carina, who has to be the sweetest, kindest girl in this fleet, meanwhile you barely talk and when you do, you act like a dickhead!" Marcus called out, obviously joking as Amaury huffed and threw his boot at the man who knocked it to the side, lying back on his bed, dying from laughter.

"You are too easy to fire up, you know that?! He bellowed as Amaury rolled on his side away from him and covered himself with a blanket. "Goodnight Marcus." He stated, Marcus throwing his boot back at him and hitting his back. "Come on, don't be like that!" He called out as Amaury didn't move; he simply nuzzled his head into his pillow and ignored the hit, replying in a jokingly annoyed voice. "Goodnight. Marcus."

A few hours later on the bridge of the _Bastille_ , Monty remained at the helm, watching as the two ships made their way deeper out into space. It was rather uneventful, but seeing as it was technically his job to watch over the operations of the _Bastille_ , he knew it was important that he be there as much as possible; if for nothing more than to make sure his rank stood out amongst the others. "Everything still okay, ladies and gents?" He asked out loud to his bridge crew, who all responded in agreement. "Nothing to report sir. All systems clear, nothing on the sensors. We are golden." His first mate replied, as Monty nodded. "Good, let's keep it that way." He replied, leaning his head into his palm as he watched out into space, contemplating just how the next phase of the plan was supposed to happen, hoping that the _Tortuga_ would be able to find its way back to them. The whole purpose of the their trajectory towards Mars was so that they would be able to rendezvous with the fleet without the use of long range communications, unwilling to allow their broadcast to be picked up on Federation observation posts, and he just hoped that the rookie pilots and navigator of the vessel could handle the flight.

"Umm, sir…" A voice called out, interrupting his thoughts and forcing him to turn his gaze to the crewman monitoring the sensors. "What is it?" He asked, somewhat annoyed as the crewman turned to him. "We are picking up something moving behind us. It… it's large and coming at us fast." He answered, his voice a bit shaky from both nervous tensions with the discovery of the object as well as having to report the bad news. "How is that possible? No more than five minutes ago you told me that everything was clear. How did you miss this?" Monty asked, now even more agitated as his mind tore through thoughts rapidly. It couldn't be a Federal patrol; not out here. "I-I'm sorry sir, but it wasn't there five minutes ago." He stuttered again as Monty's First Mate walked over and looked at the screen. "He's right; I saw the scanner, it was clean. It's about forty kilometers and closing fast." He reported as Monty slammed his fist into the captain's chair and stood to his feet, he pointed at the crewman in charge of the outside cameras.

"Get me the Stern observation cameras, now!" He commanded, the whole bridge nervously watching the screen as it loaded, the system still buggy following the hacking during Operation Duality. "Come on!" Monty angrily called out, biting grinding his teeth together. Hanging outside of direct visual range and undetectable by their sensors, they had to be pirates; likely those they had just robbed, using a Minovsky Particle scattering device to block the _Warsaw_ 's and _Bastille_ 's sensors. How could they have found them? Were they trailing them the whole time? His question was answered as the cameras came into focus, and there as plain as day, at what had to be a distance of no more than thirty kilometers, was a cruiser painted black and white stripes, reminiscent of the old pre-World War One Dazzle camouflage used on naval vessels. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Monty screamed, just as the communications officer on the bridge turned to him and pointed forward to the large display in the center of the room, just above the center bridge window. "Sir, the enemy vessel is hailing us." She relayed as Monty looked up to the screen. "Put it through." He demanded as she did so, though it didn't really matter as he knew what this was. As the screen illuminated, they were greeted with the image of a heavyset man sitting in the ship's Captain's chair, a neck length beard and several facial tattoos contrasting against his bald head, which bore the letter 'K' in the middle of his forehead.

"Well, well, well. This is the crew who robbed us, eh?" He asked with a heavy laugh, Monty grunting in the displeasure of the whole situation. "What do you want?" Monty questioned angrily, not willing to strike idle conversation with the pirates that quickly approached from behind. "What do we want? Are you fuckin' kidding me kid? We want our property back, as well as the two ships you stole from the reclamation company." The pirate lord called back as the crew of his bridge laughed, while the crew aboard the _Bastille_ 's bridge stood in fear. Their ship was not necessarily larger, but it was clearly a warship, with four separate quad-barreled turrets; two in front, one on the rear, with an additional under the bow. That kind of firepower would decimate the two modified Clop-Class light cruisers they currently operated, on top of whatever mobile suits they carried. With nothing else to say, Monty attempted to plead with the crew; not from fear, but in an effort to save the lives of any given soldier in his fleet from the coming battle.

"These suits are going towards the freedom of all who live in space. You of all people must understand that. Surely there must be some deal-" He pleaded as more laughter from the enemy ship filled the bridge, cutting him off. "That's real funny kid. Who do you think you are, Char Aznable? Give me a break. There is no hope for a 'free people' of space; that died years and years ago." The pirate lord mocked as Monty grunted in frustration, knowing that his attempt to spare anyone on the ship had failed. "Prepare to have the majority of your crew slaughtered before your eyes, and the rest become property of the Kidds Void Gang." The pirate lord boasted before severing the communications call, no longer willing to chat with his prey. As the video ended, the entire bridge turned to Monty who angrily stared at the screen. He looked at them all and then turned back to his communications officer. "Get me the _Warsaw._ All hands, man your battle stations!"

Sitting straight up from a dead sleep at the sound of the alarm, Amaury's heart raced, this being only the second time now he had been awoken by a General Quarters alarm during his time in space. "Now what?" Marcus questioned as he looked over to Amaury as suddenly the two of them began to float off of their beds. Knowing the protocol should they be attacked was to disable the gravity to allow more power to the drive system and main weapon, both of them looked at one another and immediately rushed to get dressed, a woman's voice now broadcasting overhead at almost a deafening volume. "General quarters! General Quarters! All personnel, this is not a drill! Man your battle stations! Repeat: Man your battle stations!" The nervous voice called out as Amaury struggled to find the boot that Marcus had thrown, flipping his bunk into the wall before discovering it wedged in the back. "What is this? Who could have found us all the way out here?!" Marcus called out to Amaury who, while pulling his boot on, floated down the hall next to their room towards the hanger. "I don't know." Was the boy's simple response, unable to formulate anything other than that as they entered into the hanger, spotting the few mobile suits that the _Warsaw_ had received and prepped for combat; two of the new Zakums, a single unmodified Zaku II and Geoff's custom GM; repaired and modified since their Operation Duality.

"Marcus, get to the bridge and see where you can help out. Amaury, on me." Geoff's voice suddenly calls out from above as he floats towards his mobile suit, pointing out towards the hanger door. "The pirates we stole these suits from are coming back for them, and us. Prepare yourself for a fight. Where is Sam?" Geoff called as Amaury followed behind; heading for the nearest Zakum while Marcus, although not happy about being stuck on the ship due to his injury, did as instructed. "I'm not sure. He should be any second, I would assume." The boy replied as the two split ways, each heading for their own suits. "We can't wait for him; he can join the fight when he gets here. Same plan as last time, follow my lead." Geoff instructed as he reached his GM and opening the hatch disappeared inside. "Right!" Amaury acknowledged as he reached what would now be his Zakum, doing the same.

Slamming into the seat he instantly began to run the ignition sequence, his fingers moving feverishly through the motions, flicking buttons left and right. His eye watched the hatch close and the yellow warning lights outside in the hanger flashing, instructing all personnel to prepare for the hanger to depressurize, becoming untenable for anyone not wearing an airtight helmet. "Amaury, don't forget to announce when you take off." Geoff stated as soon as the radio connection between the two of them established, stepping onto the mobile suit catapult and locking his feet in. "It's import so that the EWAC controller upstairs can tag your suit on their sensors. This isn't a hijacking anymore, this is actual warfare; keep your head level, stay calm. You will come back alive." He finished as the green light at the edge of the Hanger entrance illuminated, signaling that the catapult was set to launch on his command.

" _Warsaw_ command to all mobile suits organizing for launch; sensors indicate six incoming mobile suits supported by ten smaller strike craft, all of which are jamming all identification processes. Fleet defense systems are active; keep them as far from the fleet as possible." The controller stated as calmly as possible while Geoff positioned his GM in a launch position, aiming his currently equipped 120mm machine gun forward in anticipation. He also had on his mobile suit a single, three round 280mm bazooka with one spare three round magazine, for a total of six rounds and a single Heat Hawk. Amaury watched Geoff's thrusters ignite and begin to glow in preparation for the launch, and a second later, he spoke. "Geoff Walker, GM Custom: taking off." He calmly stated as he launched himself, his suit catapulted from the ship with great speed, maintained as he boosted towards the enemy. Stepping forward from his mobile suit's docking point and onto the deck of the hanger, he waited for the catapult to retract, taking the time to go over his own weapons, which appeared to be the same setup as Geoff's; a 120mm in the hand with a spare drum on his side, a 280mm on the back and a Heat Hawk on the other side. It was good enough for him, having no preference at the current moment, and as the catapult locked back, he stepped onto it. Clicking his feet in place he listened as another voice came over the radio. "Monty McNeil, A _better_ GM Custom: taking point." Monty's voice called out, forcing the boy to sigh at Monty's horrible joke, watching outside of the hanger as his engine trail followed towards Geoff's, and soon his would as well.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Amaury locked his suit's leg into the other catapult and took a deep breath, waiting for the green light to illuminate in front of him, which seemed to take an eternity. Reaching up he opened his visor for a brief second and removed the bandage from his eye and threw it to the side, closing the visor again just as the light turned green. This was it. "Amaury Dietrich, Zakum One: Launching!" He yelled, pressing the launch button to his side as his suit was instantly catapulted to well over sixty kilometers an hour in a matter of a few seconds, and before he knew it he was out in space once again. Throttling up, this time at a slow pace to avoid immediate injury to his eye, he flew toward the two friendlies in front of him, who had slowed down for him to catch up.

"Hey kid, glad you made it!" Monty called out to him, flying backwards in a flaunting manner as Amaury remained focused on the approaching batch of enemies. "Let's get these guys." He replied, watching as his screen illuminated the mobile suits and zoomed in on them. These suits did not appear familiar to him at all, but that wouldn't stop him from destroying them. "They will likely be trying to pass by us and take on the _Warsaw_ and _Bastille_. We can't let that happen." Geoff advised as the EWACS operator came up on the air. "Twenty seconds until contact; stay frosty boys." He warned as Amaury scowled. If they wanted to get to the fleet, they would have to go through him!


	11. Chapter 11: Kidds Void Gang

"Light 'em up!" Geoff called out, unable to wait any longer for reinforcement before attacking the incoming mass of enemies, the three rebels charging directly at them as gunfire erupted all around. The strike craft, small, traditional style space fighters, approached first at high speed, unloading their weapons at the hostile mobile suits, which all scattered to spread the attacking forces thin. "Whoever shoots down the most strike craft buys the beer when we get back!" Monty called out with a cheerful laugh, spin around and firing his 120mm, instantly scoring a kill and damaging another, the smoking fight peeling off making a large loop around to approach from another vector, while at the same time Geoff locked onto one of the unidentified mobile suits. "I don't think that is how it works." He corrected Monty, quickly approaching the dazzle-camo covered machine that fired its own weapon in rapid succession towards him. Stowing his machine gun on his back, he drew his bazooka and thrusted forward until he was just about to make physical contact with the enemy, at which point he immediately thrust back. Brought to an almost complete stop by his reverse thrust, he aimed his weapon down into the machine and fired, blowing off its left arm and boosting back away from him.

"He's got some skill, but that won't save him." Geoff huffed, having intended to blast the mobile suit's cockpit wide open, failing when the hostile pilot sacrificed his left arm to save his life. He too had never seen this kind of mobile suit before, and it was possible that they were some kind of non-Federation or Zeon mass produced model, though it was highly unlikely; they had to have come from somewhere else. "That's how it works if you are me!" Monty replied, boosting towards Geoff and smashing a strike craft from the air with his mobile suit's fist as it flew by. "You just want an excuse to gloat." Geoff fired back with a laugh, firing another rocket was an oncoming mobile suit who was not as lucky as the last, the round entering through the side of its torso, and upon internal detonation, caused the Minovsky Reactor to explode.

At the same time, Amaury had boosted up and above the two friends; three strike craft and at least one mobile suit following closely behind. Flying at top speed, he spun around and opened fire on the fighters, shredding all three into a large explosion, while the mobile suit emerged from the smoke swinging some sort of sold metal melee weapon down on him. Boosting away to avoid the swing, he fired at the machine, his rounds having very little effect on its oddly shaped armor plating. "That armor won't save you forever!" Amaury growled, reversing his boost so that he now flew towards his enemy, who prepared another swing of the large club-like weapon. Approaching very fast, Amaury narrowly missed the swing of the weapon and rammed into the mobile suit's torso with his unit's left shoulder, the spike penetrating into the cockpit, killing the pilot instantly as his blood sprayed out into space through the damage from the force of the impact. Floating back a second he boosted away, sensing another mobile suit approaching. "You bastard!" An unfriendly voice called into their communications, having finally locked onto their frequency.

"I'll kill you for that!" He screamed, quickly approaching the boy. Lifting his weapon as he boosted backwards, Amaury fired until his weapon was empty, dodging return fire from his opponent. The Zakum really was much more agile and responsive than the Zaku, and Amaury loved it. "Stand still!" His enemy yelled, firing his rifle again at the boy, who thrust down and away, but the enemy remained on his tail, spinning and chasing him no matter which way he jerked and zig-zagged. "This guy is on me pretty good…" Amaury said thought out loud as he reloaded his weapon and took a deep breath. He knew that he shouldn't' do it with his eye still healing, but with this enemy so intent to stay behind him, and itching to push the Zakum to its limits, he opted for something a little more frantic. "Let's see what you can do, Zakum!" He called out, boosting into a spiral as the enemy followed, firing his machine gun at the boy. Choosing a random point to break the spiral, he instinctively turned his mobile suit towards the hostile and travelled in an arc around him at high speed, almost as if he was gravitating around him, careful to keep the gap between the two of them.

"What are you doing kid?" His enemy questioned, attempting to keep up with him. Aiming his weapon down between his mobile suit's legs, Amaury opened fire again in bursts to help improve accuracy at this speed. As round after round stuck his opponent's suit, its armor began to chip away, until finally a stray round penetrated into the rear of the torso and damaged and internal mechanism, causing the suit to jar off course violently and make a run for it. "Fuck you kid, you damaged my Ratnik!" The enemy called out before gasping, watching as the Amaury approached at break neck speed and. Boosting backwards at his own top speed, the hostile tried desperately to get away from Amaury, though it wasn't working. "Can someone please help here?!" The pilot called as the two remaining strike craft responded, moving into position behind the Zakum.

As if sensing the two aircraft as they moved into position, Amaury cut his throttle for a split second, watching as one craft collided into the Zakum at high speed, exploding instantly while the other flew in front of him. "Guah, what the h-" The fighter pilot tried to call out before being destroyed by the boy's machine gun while he once again sped up to chase the damaged enemy. Wincing in frustration and fear, the enemy opened fire one Amaury again, attempting to shake the boy's chase with frantic movements. "T-This kid, he's a g-god damn demon! He won't give up!" He called out while spinning around and choosing a random course of direction to try and shake the boy again, thought it didn't work, and Amaury remained chasing him. "Kid, are you playing with your food?" Monty asked, looking up at Amaury's chase with a light chuckle. "Let him go; he's leaking fuel, he's out of the fight for now, and if you go any closer to their cruiser alone, their defense weapons will tear you up. We couldn't have that now, could we?" He asked again, though his last words seemed more cynical than cautioning. Amaury huffed and agreed, immediately breaking the chase and heading back towards the group, where Geoff had just finished off the fourth mobile suit.

"How's that suit handling?" He asked the boy as both Monty and Amaury thrusted to a stop near him. "It's much better than the Zaku II." He replied, as the EWACS operator chimed in again. "Nice job with those hostiles, guys. All of the strike craft were destroyed, as well as four out of the six mobile suits. Hostile cruiser is now within twenty five kilometers. She has slowed down, but shows no signs of stopping." He reported, bringing Amaury's attention towards the hostile ship in the distance. There was no way that was the only group of mobile suits and fighter that they had, especially since they still were advancing towards them.

"What do they plan to do?" Amaury questioned as he stowed the machine gun to his suit's back since all if its ammunition was depleted and switched to his 280mm bazooka. "Who knows; pirates don't tend to make tactically sound decisions, and it is very likely they are just charging straight at the fleet." Geoff replied, having dealt with pirates before during his time with the Federation. "We should assault it now, while they are regrouping. Catch them off guard; one of us goes left, the other right and the last from above or below. Hit them with the bazooka's in their soft spots." Monty attempted to make a plan without anyone else's input, though Geoff shook his head. "No, I think they are planning something else, closing the gap and buying time." He replied calmly, his eyes also watching the approaching vessel as Amaury remained silent, in no position to voice his opinion. "Well, you can do what you want, but I-" Monty attempted to make the decision for the four of them before the EWACS operator cut them off once more.

"Priority message; cut the chatter!" He called out, sending out an emergency tone over the frequency to prevent anyone else form talking. "All units, be advised; a large enemy force is being launched from the enemy vessel. Twelve mobile suits and counting; recommend retreating to regroup with the rest of the fleet, you'll be overwhelmed otherwise." The operator suggested as Amaury gasped a bit under his breath. Twelve mobile suits? How could they fight off a four to one advantage? After a brief silence, Monty sighed. "Alright, retreat back to the fleet. I had hoped that we could handle this, but obviously this is not going to be a simple task. Prepare the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ for combat." He called out as he turned to head back to the fleet, Monty and Amaury following behind, watching as the two ships in the distance, slowly but surely turned to face the oncoming threat.

"Amaury, how much ammunition did you use?" Geoff asked, as Amaury looked to his display, just to make sure. "I'm out of 120mm, but otherwise I'm okay." He replied, Geoff thinking for a moment before replying. "Land on the _Bastille_ and resupply quickly, that bazooka won't be enough against this many enemies. I'm _still_ waiting for Sam, and where is Tome?" He asked, and with perfect timing, as just as he did so, Sam launched from the _Warsaw_. "Sam Raditz, Zakum Two: launching." He called out already on his way out of the hanger, causing Geoff to laugh a bit. "You are supposed to say something _before_ leaving the hanger, but, regardless, glad you finally got out of bed." He joked, watching as the doors on the _Bastille_ opened, knowing they were about to receive another ally, which he assumed was Tome. "Sorry, I was on the _Bastille_ , but my suit was on the _Warsaw_." Sam replied as he came to a stop between the two ships just as the three others returned from the frontline. "What were you doing on the _Bastille_?" Monty asked as Sam blushed, luckily not visible through the colored visor on his helmet. "Overtime. Yeah, I was helping in the hanger." He lied, unwilling to explain the real reason he was late to the fight, and although everyone listening could tell he was lying, it didn't matter at the moment.

"Tome Himare, Zakum Three; Launching!" Tome called out a few moments later, assuming her place amongst the group of now five mobile suits, her armament a little different; her Zakum carrying the same equipment as the others, but also the largest mobile suit weapon the fleet currently possessed; the 135mm Anti-Ship rifle. "Tome, how do you plan on using all of those weapons?" Monty asked, a bit concerned that the girl did not fully understand the power of the rifle and the inability of the weapon to be fired on the move, Tome shook her head and pulled the rifle from her back, allowing her machine gun to float in space next to her suit. "Oh, this isn't for me." She stated as everyone beside herself and Sam seemed confused for a moment, Amaury looking to Geoff on their communications panel to his right, who also seemed bit confused. As far as he knew, almost every mobile suit they had combat-ready was deployed into the field, and so were the pilots. Who else could it be for? "Then who is for?" Amaury asked finally as from the _Warsaw_ a sixth mobile suit launched.

"Marcus Northwood, Zaku One; joining the fight!" Marcus exclaimed, flying forward from until he reached the rest of them, slowing to a stop next to Tome's Zakum as she handed him the rifle, and a single spare three round magazine the was attached to her suit's rear waist armor. "Marcus, you-" Geoff started to reprimand the wounded pilot for getting his mobile suit, but he cut him off in true, strong headed Marcus fashion. "Hold on Cap', before you go yelling at me, I might be unable to _fly_ a mobile suit well, but I don't plan to do much flying with this baby." He defended himself, loading the anti-ship rifle and slinging it over the Zaku's shoulder. "Plus, you know I've got the best shot in the fleet at range." Marcus boasted, pointing to himself with his thumb inside the cockpit for all of the pilots to see, which caused both Sam and Tome to laugh. Although he had originally planned to scold Marcus, Geoff instead sighed and shook his head. He was right, he was the best shot with the long range weapons during their training, and he really couldn't knock him for wanting to take part in his friend's battle; especially battles he had been trained to fight. "Well, we could use all the help we can get at this point. Everyone assume a defensive perimeter around the fleet, Amaury and I are going to resupply quickly, and we will be right back out." He instructed as he flew towards the _Bastille_.

"Monty, I suggest you do the same." He added, Monty declining. "Nah, I've got more than enough. Just keep Amaury from having any more lunch dates while you are in there." Monty replied with a small laugh before boosting to his desired location, leaving Amaury speechless, his stomach turning with anxiety. How did he know about that, was he watching them? Or did someone else see and report it to him? And on top of it, why would he call him out in the middle of all of this? "Amaury, let's go." Geoff called to the boy, snapping him from his thoughts as his own mobile suit touched down on the deck and walked inside.

Nervously swallowing, Amaury turned and flew towards the hanger as well, landing inside only a few moments later. Touching down behind Geoff's GM as it walked towards the docking bays, he was careful to avoid crushing or walking into any of the crewman, though they understood to stay out of the way of the much larger mobile suits that towered over them. With all of their combat capable mobile suits deployed, the hanger was almost completely empty, save for the small piles of scrap pieces that remained unsorted, and it felt to strange to have so much space in the room that he had only ever seen packed almost to the brim. Moving into position in front of the bay next to Geoff's he watched the hangar bay doors close, and after a few moments the lights indicating a zero-oxygen environment stopped, an 'all clear' signal following shortly after. "Have them fuel your suit while you are here as well," Geoff ordered, opening his cockpit and floating out onto the walkway as crewman rushed to his side to see what he and his suit needed.

"We don't know how long we will be out there and the last thing you want to happen is running out of fuel during a firefight." Amaury acknowledged while backing his Zakum into the docking bay, waiting for a crewman to signal that his suit was secured before he turned it off, the Minovsky Reactor behind him coming to a purring stop. Pressing the hatch release button he removed the harness that held him securely to the seat during flight as well as his helmet, taking a deep breath of the cold hanger air as he did so. Reaching forward and taking the grab bars in his hands on both sides of the cockpit, he pulled himself towards the entrance, stopping as Carina floated down onto the hatch from above, blocking the exit in front of him. Having also been thrown from her sleep by the blaring General Quarters alarm, she too did as was required and reported to the hanger to help with the incoming repairs and rearmament of their brave pilot's mobile suits. "Hey!" She called out as he looked up to her, the smile on her face bringing one forward from the tense expression on his own. "Hey." The boy replied, watching as she backed up onto the hatch, allowing him to exit and stand as well.

"How did it fly?" The curious engineer asked, looking at Amaury's now uncovered bad eye, the blood having mostly cleared and having no sign of any further damage as of yet. "It flies very well, you did an excellent job." The boy replied as the girl blushed a bit, looking at the crewmen that floated up and instructing them to load two drums of 120mm ammunition onto the Zakum, as well as to top off his fuel reservoir. "I had my doubts. The last thing I want to do is get someone killed because I miscalculated something somewhere." She admitted, looking up at the Zakum, several dings and spots where paint was missing noticeable, though it didn't matter since they would all need a paint job eventually. Not fond of her doubt, he tilted his head to the side a bit as a small frown appeared. "I trust you and your work, don't doubt yourself." Amaury said softly to avoid the lingering ears of any of the flight crew, causing her smile to widen and the blush to maintain. "And in combat?" She asked her next question, causing Amaury looked up at the Zakum's head, recalling the maneuvers he was able to conduct, as well as the words of his enemies. "Well, one of the enemies called me a demon, so… I guess I would say it does very well. " He replied with a small grin as the girl looked up to him.

"A demon huh?" She asked, smiling up at him and pushing back against the mobile suit with a small laugh. "Amaury the Demon. I don't know, that doesn't seem like the Amaury I know." She hummed, laughing a bit still as the boy's face darkened, causing him to shake his head, when from the corner of his eye he realized she was still wearing his jacked overtop her flight suit. He stared for a brief moment, before looking up at her eyes, still focused on him. "You can keep it, you know." He said softly, leaving the girl a bit confused, her head tilted to the side. "Keep what, Amaury?" She asked as he pointed to the jacket, causing the girl to look down at it and then back up in embarrassment. "O-Oh, n-no, it's your jacket, I just… f-forgot to take it off." She replied quietly, not entirely sure if she had actually forgotten or just chose not to remove the source of her warmth. Sensing that she may have kept the jacket for a different reason, his cheeks darkened a tad as he looked down.

"It's okay; I want you to have it to… remind you of me." He whispered back, knowing that underneath her cheerful and inquisitive attitude she exhibited as she watched her hard work performed, she was likely afraid just like the rest of them. He understood that sometimes an item belonging to someone else could bring the memory to the person in possession of it, and knowing that he brought a feeling of safety to the girl, hoped the jacket could provide some of the same; especially should he fall in combat against such overwhelming odds. Seeing Geoff floated back to his GM, looking over to the two as he came to a stop. "No lunch dates." He joked, poking fun at the two as well as mocking what Monty had said. "We've got to roll Amaury, the fighting is about to start." He added, hearing a single large caliber shot ring out from above.

Her wide eyes focused on the boy in front of her as her faced burned intensely, her hands subconsciously feeling the fabric of the sleeves around the palms of her hands since the jacket was a larger size than what she would typically wear. He wanted her to have something to remind her of him? Why would he say that? Did her not forgetting mean that much to him? Watching Geoff approach she paid no mind to what he said, her racing heart drowning out the sounds around them. Did he _want_ her to think of him? Why else would he give her the jacket? Her eyes shifted back to Amaury as he nodded to Geoff and then turned back to her, a small frown on his lips. "I have to get back out there. Be careful, okay?" He quietly asked, his face red from both his exchange with Carina as well as Geoff's joke, which luckily Carina must not have heard. Watching as Geoff's hatch closed and the GM became active again, he turned back to the Zakum and floated towards the entrance to his own cockpit; Carina's eyes remaining locked onto him as he did so. Could she really just allow him to set off to battle without saying something after all of that? No, she had to do something. Right as the boy was about to enter his suit the girl flew towards him and wrapped her arms around his stomach from behind, burying her head into his back as he stopped.

"Please be careful." She stated loud enough for him to hear the words, not carrying who heard or saw any of it. Frozen in place as time slowed, Amaury released a small gasp, feeling her arms wrap around him. Looking to his side slowly, he saw the girl's dark head of hair against his back, bringing a blush across his features. "I will. I promise." He replied softly, though she was still able to hear it loud and clear. Letting go of Amaury's stomach, she drifted back onto the catwalk in front of the Zakum as it slowly began to move out of the way, her eyes remaining locked to Amaury as he donned his helmet, the hatch closing behind him as the Zakum's eye illuminated, his reactor humming loudly in the hanger. Stepping forward onto the deck, Geoff's GM picked up his spare magazines the flight crew placed in front of his machine and locked them in place before proceeding onto the catapult, just as all of hell let loose outside, the side of the gunfire deafening. Stowing the machine gun once again he equipped his bazooka and loaded the fresh magazine, waiting a few seconds before the hanger doors opened, revealing the battle outside. "Let's hang some pirates!" He called out to Amaury as he catapulted himself out into the fray, Amaury walking forward to wait for the catapult to reset, his eyes locked forward out of the hanger at the explosions and tracers whizzing all around. This was it; this was real warfare in space, not a little skirmish like last time. Shouldering the 280mm bazooka, he took a deep breath, awaiting the green light to launch as his ears began to ring; why now?

"Here they come!" Tome called out as the enemy assault approached, their own pilots spread into a defensive position around the vessels. Marcus positioned himself atop the _Warsaw_ , kneeling to brace his mobile suit as he aimed the massive 135mm rifle. Zooming in on the approaching fleet, he had to zoom back out to bring the whole strike force into focus. "They sure brought the party…" He groaned as the EWACS operator confirmed his displeasure. "Twenty eight strike craft this time, along with sixteen mobile suits; twelve are the same type as earlier, four are unknown types." He called out as Marcus targeted one of the four unknown types, aiming right for center mass, likely where the cockpit was. "Well, there is about to be fifteen." He replied, preparing to fire as Tome flew by and looked to his Zaku, smirking to herself. "You've only got six shots, don't miss!" She called out as Marcus scoffed. Even if it was only six shots, these rounds were extremely effective, and he was going to slay many pirates with them. "I don't miss." He replied calmly, holding his breath as he pulled the trigger; firing the single round heard from inside the ship. Creating a large flash a thunderous sound, the projectile left a whizzing trail of fire right towards its target. Striking the mobile suit dead on, the round struck deep into the suit's chest and detonated; its payload of titanium ball bearings shredding the machine from the inside out, causing it to fall behind and explode, taking at least two strike craft with it. Watching the shot and result, Monty's eyes widened.

"I'm impressed Marcus, but now that they know where you are and what you are packing, try and stay alive." Marcus scoffed at Monty's tease, preparing himself for another shot. "I'd like to see them try." Firing again, this time he struck one of the other common suits, destroying it instantly as well, but as the enemy fleet approached, he did not have time to fire another shot. "Damnit, they are too close!" He exclaimed as both the _Warsaw_ 's and the _Bastille'_ s main cannons opened fire on the approaching suits, though it was more to disrupt their formations, the small suits impossible to hit with the main cannons unless sitting completely still. With the enemy now close to the fleet, Monty, Sam and Tome scrambled to intercept the oncoming attack force, avoiding incoming fire as well as outgoing as their own fleet's point defense guns opened up. "Let the fleet handle the strike craft, aim for the mobile suits!" Monty instructed as he eyed up one of the new model suits approaching him. With a grin he boosted towards the suit as it opened fire twice with a large caliber bazooka, both rounds missing as Monty dodged left and right at high speed, closing in quickly quick.

"This rat is fast!" The pilot called out as Monty thrust in close and drew his heat hawk with his suit's other hand. Striking the bazooka with the heat hawk, he lobbed it in two and fired his machinegun into the suit, though it simply boosted back and away, the rounds not entirely effective against this thick armor. Tossing his damaged bazooka and drawing a titanium axe from his back, the hostile pilot directed his thrust back towards Monty and slammed his axe down, the rebel leader blocking with his own melee weapon. "Your little GM won't hold back the power of the Dubisar for long!" He gloated, pushing Monty's hawk back a bit. "Dubisar? Is that made up or something?" Monty teased as he lifted the knee of his GM violently into the Dubisar's chest, knocking it back and giving him the opportunity to boost back.

"Those three other suits are heavily armored. Tag them as Dubisar." Monty addressed both his fellow pilots as well as the EWACS Operator, who acknowledged with a single word. "We'll crack 'em open all the same!" Tome called out while engaging two Ratniks and a Dubisar, shooting one of the Ratniks down with her machine gun while avoiding another's melee strike before boosting away. Despite this being the girl's first battle, she was extremely confident with her piloting abilities, and did not seem phased by the enemy numbers or the heavily armored foe which now chased her through the sky above the _Bastille_. "Tome you've got two on your tail; recommend evasive action." EWACS Command relayed as Sam boosted straight towards her. "Not for long!" He called out, ramming his Zakum into the Ratnik, knocking him off of the girl's tail. "Guah! What are you insane?!" The pilot angrily called to the boy, swinging his axe into Sam's shoulder; the blade becoming stuck in the armored plate.

"No, I'm just not a big fan or pirates!" He called back, shoving the barrel of his machinegun into the waist joint of the Ratnik, opened fire and tore the suit in half; boosting backwards and away before it exploded. "Good job Sam!" Tome called out as Sam blushed and scratched at his neck nervously. "Don't mention it!" He replied with a grin, looking up as two more Ratniks boosted towards him, both with their melee weapons ready to swing. "Shit!" He exclaimed, boosting away with them in chase.

Turning around to fire behind her, Tome rapidly fired her machinegun at the Dubisar on her tail, trying to find some kind of weakness in its armor. "What the hell is this thing made of?" She questioned as the pilot who followed snickered. "Wouldn't you like to know!" He yelled, boosting forward and swinging at her, dodging to the right to avoid the strike. However, although she avoided the melee swing, the Dubisar's other arm lifted up with a 90mm machine gun and opened fire on the girl, striking her Zakum several times and damaging the bazooka on her back, forcing her to eject it before it exploded. "Get off of me!" She exclaimed in anger as the Dubisar continued to follow tightly behind her, matching her speed with his own. Below on the deck of the _Warsaw_ Marcus watched her unsuccessful attempt to break the Dubisar's flight pattern, frustrated that he wasn't able to help her much from his location.

"Tome, bring him towards me." Marcus called, formulating a plan in his mind; if she could get the enemy pilot to fly right towards the _Warsaw_ , he would have a shot. "Roger!" She acknowledged, seeing no other option at the current moment. Banking to the left and descending down from above the ship, she headed right towards Marcus, boosting at full speed to avoid the swing of the machine at her tail once more. "Murder this guy!" She called out as she spun and flew away from the _Warsaw_ , leaving a straight line of sight for Marcus, who had already locked on to the target. "Gotcha." He stated out loud, discharging the rifle once more, instantly reducing the incoming Dubisar to a flaming ball of debris that slammed harmlessly into the deck in front of him. "Good shot!" Tome called out with a cheer as Marcus pretended to 'tip his hat' with his helmet, looking down at his sensors as he noticed two blips quickly approaching from behind. "Shit, I've got two coming in quick." He called as the two Ratniks thrust from behind the _Warsaw_ 's bridge, one with a machine gun, the other with a missile launcher.

"There he is, the dead man with the rifle!" One called out as the other locked on with the missile launcher, setting off a warning signal inside of Marcus' cockpit as he scowled. "Lord Kurin promised big pay to whoever brought him that rifle, and that's gonna be us!" He continued as the soldier with the missile launcher scoffed. "Well, what's left of it anyway!" He exclaimed as he fired two missiles.

Using his injured arm, Marcus boosted back and away from the missiles, which slammed into the deck of the _Warsaw_ , creating a rift in the ship's hull, storage spilling forth into space. Luckily all that part of the ship was for was storage, and there shouldn't have been anyone inside of those bulkheads during a General Quarters status. Nonetheless, Marcus growled in anger. "You bastards, you will pay for that!" He screamed as the two prepared to fire again at him, but were distracted as one of the ship's bridge defense guns came online and opened fire on them, forcing them to evade. Returning fire the two Ratniks destroyed the gun, and turned back to Marcus, gasping in shock as instead Geoff's GM sped towards them.

"What the- GUA-" One exclaimed in his dying breath as Geoff slammed his heat hawk into its cockpit before turning to the other and striking it with his bazooka, blowing off its right arm as it floated there stunned, attempting to catch its bearings. "F-Fuck you, you son-" The other attempted to curse as Geoff blasted him again, destroying the mobile suit. Relieved, Marcus sat back in his seat and sighed, looking up as Geoff boosted away to chase another target. "Keep up the good work." He stated as Marcus jokingly saluted, stopping when he heard Sam's voice on the radio.

"Can someone _please_ get these things off of me?" He called out, spinning around to discharge his weapon down at one who dodged and returned fire, striking Sam's left foot, damaging his thruster and causing him to slow down. "Damnit!" He cursed as Monty approached him, having broken off his fight with his Dubisar foe to help the blonde haired fool. "Hold on kid, hold on; I'm coming." Monty replied to his call for assistance, boosting towards the damaged Zakum. Approaching behind Sam and the two bogies, he flew overhead and drew forth his bazooka, firing all three rounds in rapid succession to attempt and disrupt the attack, striking one of the Ratniks in the back, the blow knocking out its reactor and causing it to drift aimlessly in space without power.

"Leave him; he'll suffocate before anyone reaches him." Monty stated with a sadistic tone, turning his attention to the remaining Ratnik on Sam's tail and attempting to boost before being forced to avoid a ram attack by the Dubisar he had fought before. "Where do you think you are going?!" The pilot exclaimed angrily as Monty smirked. "Nowhere now; kid, you still have one. Shake him." Monty called Sam as the boy grunted in annoyance. With a damaged thruster and a quickly approaching enemy, he had to think fast.

Dropping down into the area between the two carriers, he sped in and out of the formation, flying as close to the fleet's carriers as possible. "Come on, come on…" He mumbled out loud, hoping that one of the point defense weapons would catch onto his plight and assist, however based on how fast they were moving it became evident that it wasn't possible. "You are not going to lose me that easily!" The hostile pilot exclaimed as Sam spun to open fire, only releasing a few shot before the Ratnik chopped his machine gun in half; the boy escaping as the weapon detonated. Flying towards the hanger of the _Bastille_ didn't notice its doors were opened still for launch, and mistakenly allowed the Ratnik to catch on. Seeing an opportunity to strike at the enemy fleet in a big way, the Ratnik diverted from tailing Sam and sped towards the open hanger doors. "Screw the little fish, I'm going for the big game!" He exclaimed, signaling to Sam that he was no longer being followed. Spinning to see where the enemy was heading, he gasped.

"Fuck, there is a Ratnik heading towards the _Bastille_ 's hanger!" He cried out as every one of the pilots immediately turned their attention to the _Bastille_ , the feeling of impending catastrophic loss imminent. As the Ratnik spun around in front of the ship he adjusted himself to land at the opening of the hanger, spotting the crewman inside floating all around, as well as Amaury's Zakum on the catapult, about to launch. His ringing, he heard Sam's cry as the Ratnik landed at the foot of the _Bastille_ 's hanger, Amaury's mind immediately slowed, unwilling to believe what was happening. "Well, well. Looks like it's going to be a bit messy in here." He stated through his external speaker with a maniacal laugh, destined to kill every crewman and destroy the ship. No… that couldn't be allowed to happen! "No…" Amaury mumbled as the man continued to laugh, his eyes frantically searching the area between him and the Ratnik. "No…" He repeated again, as Carina and the rest of the crew watched on in horror at their approaching death. The man's laughing continuing to terrorize the crew as he lifted his machinegun to open fire into the hanger, targeting the Zakum first, just as Amaury finished looking for crewman in the line of fire.

"NO!" Amaury screamed at the top of his lungs, pressing the catapult release and launching himself towards the Ratnik as he did so; he had to act! With time slowed, he lifted his bazooka up and timed his shot perfectly to prevent fatal back blast to the crew as he flew down the tracks towards the exit, blasting into the Ratnik's torso and knocking it out of the hangar. Boosting full speed as his Zakum broke free of the catapult tracks he then rammed into the Ratnik, pushing it even further away before boosting himself to a standstill. "Get away!" The wide eyed boy screamed at the pirate as he fired his remaining two shots, both of which penetrated the cockpit and detonated the mobile suit's reactor, disintegrating the machine instantly as the other five pilots, who had held their breath throughout the ordeal, sighed in relief.

"Holy shit…" Tome whispered to herself, watching how close The Movement came to failing their mission as well as the ferocity of which Amaury resolved the problem. Unbeknownst to her however, the boy inside was frozen; his eyes rapidly scanned over the debris in front of him while his breath quivered and his hands shook, remaining silent; frozen in place. "Amaury, are you okay?" Geoff called at the boy's silence while slashing his way through yet another Ratnik, growing even more concerned by the moment. "Amaury?" He questioned again before finally, after almost fifteen seconds, Amaury shook free of the trance he was in and reloaded the bazooka, boosting up to engage the remaining enemies as the fight continued above. "I'm fine." He replied as he stowed the weapon and once more drew his machine gun and heat hawk, chasing after one of the remaining Ratniks that opened fire in anger at the destruction of his friend.

Frustrated by the current course of the battle, the pirate lord slammed both of his fists into the Captain's chair he sat in, pointing out towards the enemy fleet. "How is it possible that this ragtag group of thieves is defeating us?!" He yelled as those on his bridge looked at each other, not willing to say anything that may upset their captain, which ironically only made him more infuriated. "Someone answer me goddammit!" He called out, slamming his fist into the chair and his boot into the deck as finally his first mate stepped forward. "Calm down Lord Kurin, you will give yourself another heart attack." He stated as the pirate lord scowled at his first mate, and then looked down to the display at his right, showing that almost all of their mobile suit forces and strike craft had been eliminated. "Not only will we need to replace all of this equipment, but also we will need a whole new crew by the end of this!" He called out into the air angrily, resting his head in the palm of his hand as his other hand rapped its fingers against the chair.

"We need to end this now, before we lose the _entire_ fleet." He stated, turning to his first mate, then the two guards who stood behind his chair. "Deploy the Blitz models. I had hoped to have finished the renovations before using them, but we have no choice." He ordered as the two behind them nodded, the first mate pointing for them to go and prepare while he turned back to the lord, who grabbed his wrist to pause his exit, his eyes watching with a long distance optic as Amaury blasted the Ratnik from the hanger of the _Bastille_. "Those mobile suits, the custom Zakus; bring them to me as whole as you can." He instructed, assuming that the suit was the cause of the boy's performance. The first mate watched the camera and nodded. "Yes, Lord Kurin." He agreed before leaving the bridge, destined for the hanger as Lord Kurin smirked in anticipation for the recovery of his new toys.

Finishing off the pirate ace in the Dubisar, Monty turned back to the fleet, ensuring that only minimal damage had been done to either ship. "Status report." He requested from the ship, knowing that many of the enemy mobile suits had been destroyed, but unsure on the total amount. "The enemy force has lost eleven of their sixteen mobile suits, and all of their strike craft. The enemy vessel is continuing to slowly advance on our position however." The operator replied as Monty smirked and crossed his arms, watching around him as the remaining mobile suits fought his pilots. Even after losing the majority of their fighting forces they were still going to attempt and capture the fleet using their cruiser. "Well, that will be their funeral." Monty stated with a grin, closing his eyes for a moment before the EWACS commander dispatched an emergency tone over the radio again. "Warning! The enemy carrier has launched three more mobile suits." The controller announced as Monty's attention returned to his screen. "Only three? Do they really think three mobile suits will turn the tide of this battle?" He asked with a small laugh, though the controller was not happy. "The three mobile suits are approaching at an alarming speed; almost double what any of our own suits are capable of; recommend evasive actions immediately!" He stated as Monty growled watching the three suits approaching the group of his soldiers, darting across the sky almost light lightening. "What are these things?" He asked, boosting up towards the combat to assist in the coming escalation of the battle.


	12. Chapter 12: Honor Among Thieves

Locked into combat with the few surviving Kidds Gang mobile suits the Zeon pilots listened intently as the EWACS officer warned them of the oncoming mobile suits, and like Monty, did not think much of it. "Only three more? Really?" Tome asked, chasing off a Ratnik that tried to help his friend as Amaury executed him; sheering its arm from its body with his heat hawk before finishing him off with his 120mm. "They must not have any more." He replied, turning his attention towards the mobile suits as they sped towards them, then back to another Ratnik duo that sped at him, fired and boosted away in a harassing manner, trying to get him to follow away from the group, though the boy wasn't that foolish. Their EWACS officer was right; these new mobile suits were fast. "Don't let your guard down. These must not be regular mobile suits and judging by their extreme speed I would assume they are some kind of assault type. Keep your distance if possible." Geoff warned as Monty boosted up into the group, thrusting to a stop right in the middle of the his pilots as he looked around at the remaining hostiles, firing at one who quickly evaded and regrouped with the remaining three, the four then disappearing back towards the enemy cruiser.

"Why are they retreating?" Sam asked, assuming that they would have stayed to assist the three newcomers. "They were only meant to buy the three incoming suits time to reach us, and they succeeded." Monty replied, watching as the three oncoming suits approached, his systems counting down the kilometers until their arrivals, still unable to identify the suits. Moving until he was right next to Monty, Amaury reloaded his machine gun with his last magazine, and looked to their leader who intently examined the enemy approaching them. "Here they come, everyone prepare." Geoff warned as Marcus watched from below, still unhappy with his status stuck on the ship. "What do you want me to do?" Marcus asked, loading the spare magazine into his rifle as he did so. "Just stay put. Depending on how this goes, you may play a bigger part than you think." Geoff replied as Marcus nodded in agreement. "Right."

"I hope you boys are ready for a real challenge." A voice called to the Zeon pilots through the radio as the three came into sight, spreading into a spear formation as they approached, unarmed. Confused by their lack of weapons, Sam scoffed. "What are you going to do? Punch us to death?" He asked as their enemy snickered through the radio. "You will see." A female voice replied as their speed increased once again, flying at full throttle towards the five of them while zig-zagging like lightning through space. "Target acquired." Another voice stated as they quickly closed the gap, just as Geoff recognized the suit, his eyes widening.

"Shit, Monty they are Kampfers!" He called out, boosting away from the formation of Zeon pilots. "Everyone scatter!" Monty ordered as the pilots attempted to scatter, but as they closed in, it was clear they were not unarmed; drawing beam sabers from their hidden storage compartments, with the leader drawing two, they charged forward towards the group. Amaury's eyes opened wide in shock at both the incredible speed of the suit, but also their possession of beam sabers; an extremely powerful weapon. Grunting in surprise, Amaury began to fire his machine gun as he boosted back, but it was quickly sliced in two by an approaching hostile. To escape he kicked his legs forward, knocking the Kampfer back and giving him time to escape. Looking to his side he caught a glimpse of the hostile squad leader, heading right towards Sam, likely having picked him because of his damaged suit. "Sam, watch out!" Amaury called out, but before he fully could react, partially due to their enemies speed but also due to his damaged drive units, Sam found himself in the crosshairs of hostile squad leader, who swung the beam left beam saber towards him, the boy narrowly dodging the attack. Gasping in anger as he attempted to boost away, the right beam saber swung, slicing right through the damaged leg and into the right, severing them both from the Zakum, effectively removing it from the fight. "Sam!" Geoff yelled, boosting towards him as the lead Kampfer boosted away from the disabled Zakum and towards Tome, who flew backwards as fast as she could, her eye watching Sam's Zakum floating in space.

"I'm alright, but I can't really do anything!" He called out, frustratingly kicking the pedals at his feet into the floor. Why wouldn't the enemy just kill him? Were they trying to take him prisoner? Or did they want their suits? "Get away you monster!" She yelled, firing rapidly at the oncoming Kampfer before Monty intercepted it, slamming into it with his GM to send it off course. Coming to a stop near Monty, she watched the machine recover; it's mono-eye looking directly at her before boosting away to chase Amaury. "Amaury, look out! He's coming after you!" The girl exclaimed as Monty immediately rushed forward and chased after it in turn, knowing that if any one of them was ganged up on by these mobile suits, it would be over for them.

"Tome, grab Sam's mobile suit and get him back to the _Bastille_ , then get back out here. We are going to need the help." Monty instructed, boosting towards his target and firing his machine gun, forcing the Kampfer to turn around to face him. "Roger!" She acknowledged, boosting quickly towards the disabled suit, watching from the corner of her eye as the three remaining pilots darted around, chasing and being chased, like a giant game of cat and mouse. Reaching Sam's Zakum, she grabbed ahold of its arm and began to drag it through space towards the factory ship, cautiously looking around to make sure nobody was on their tail. Above them Monty clashed with his target, the leader of the Kampfer squad, locking his heat hawk to the beam crossed beam sabers of his opponent, trying hard to press the sabers back down onto the enemy unit. "Nice try, but that won't work." The hostile squad leader scoffed, kicking Monty's suit back, forcing him to evade a fatal dual strike of his sabers, discharging his machine gun in an effort to escape the superior suit.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't achieve. You have no idea who you are speaking to." He argued ejecting the spent drum from his machine gun, quickly reloading the weapon as he frantically dashed to the side to avoid another swing, the two suits, clashing over and over again as the sped through the space above the carriers.

Grinding his teeth in anger, Amaury desperately attempted to evade the third Kampfer, which chased after him with ferocious intent, the two clashing several times; heat hawk to saber. Without his machine gun the only weapon he had was the heat hawk, as there was no way he could score a direct hit against something so fast with an unguided rocket. "You are a pretty god opponent, boy." The female pilot who relentlessly assaulted him complimented him with a bit of a snicker, slamming into his suit to knock him off his path, the suit tumbling for a brief moment before regaining control and boosting right towards her, back-hand swinging his heat hawk, which she blocked with relative ease, annoying the boy to no end. There was no way that these pilots were performing this will just because of their suits, they were definitely Newtypes. "Geoff, what are these things?!" Amaury called out as he dodged the oncoming machine once again, to which Geoff grunted. "Hey are high-performance attack mobile suits intended to be used on Earth. They did their job well, but out in here space they are monsters! You need to watch yourself!"

"What's the matter; don't want to talk to your opponent?" The pilot inquired as Amaury struck again, once more blocked by her beam saber and forced to evade as the Kampfer opened fire with its head Vulcan weapons; not particularly harmful but he couldn't risk any unnecessary damage in this fight. "I promise not to bite too hard!" The girl called again, laughing as if this was fun to her as she swung her beam saber, this time striking the shield on the right side of his Zakum, sheering it straight off. "Shut up already!" Amaury replied, achieving his own wound as he sank the heat hawk in the Kampfer's right leg, causing the girl to boost away with a huff, firing her head weapons again at the boy as he pursued, preparing his weapon for another strike. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to hit a girl?!" She called out, reversing thrust to challenge the boy, locking their melee weapons together once again.

While both Amaury and Monty engaged the units in hand to hand combat, Geoff attempted to do exactly what he had originally suggested and refrain from such a tactic; keeping the distance between himself and the third Kampfer as much as possible, though difficult given their differences in speed and agility. "You must be an ex-Fed pilot, judging by the way you fly." The enemy pilot taunted Geoff who discharged his weapon in three round bursts to try and achieve some degree of accuracy; though at this speed it wasn't working well. "I don't tend to talk to my prey, so you should feel special." The pilot added as Geoff scoffed, changing direction and boosting away. "Oh, I feel _honored_. I just don't typically get attached to mine!" He yelled, spinning around to face the oncoming enemy who swung his saber at Geoff. Dodging the saber, Geoff opened fire into the Kampfer, who boosted up and away, but not before its leg was mangled beyond operation. "Lucky. Not so lucky for you however is that I don't need both legs to fly effectively." The man taunted as Geoff laid chase, the roles reversed. "What about your head?" He sarcastically inquired, boosting as fast as he could after the target, which seemed to be heading back towards one of the other two Kampfers.

Entering the _Bastille_ as its doors opened, Tome dragged Sam's crippled Zakum inside and placed it on the hanger floor, the crew immediately rushing to aid of the pilot inside, who emerged from the cockpit unscathed. "I'm alright, I promise." He replied to the million questions being asked as Carina approached him, floating above him as she looked over the suit. With the leg's sheared straight off there was no way that the suit could be repaired quick enough to get him back in the fight. "I'm sorry Sam, but it looks like you are out of this fight." She replied as the boy sighed, looking out of the hanger past Tome's suit. "Those bastards are fast, I couldn't even react quickly enough to get out of the way, and not because of the Zakum." He stated, floating up the cockpit of Tome's Zakum, the girl opening the door end standing outside for a brief second as Carina came as well.

"Are you okay?" Tome asked as Sam nodded. "Yeah, thanks for the lift." He replied as she smiled and nodded, turning to Carina as she came to a stop on the door with them. "How about you Tome, does your suit need anything?" She asked as Tome shook her head, turning back to her cockpit. "No, I'm good. I need to get back to the fight, they need me." She stated as Carina nodded and both her and Sam pushed off from the hatch of the machine. "Be careful!" She called out to the pilot who smiled and waved, turning her Zakum around and walking towards the end of the hanger as her hatch closed, quickly boosting away from the ship and towards the combat, the doors closing behind her. Pulling the visor up on his helmet once it was safe to do so, Sam turned and followed Carina back towards the damaged Zakum, which was being lifted off of the ground and into a docking bay with a lift.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Same asked, catching up to her as she stopped to allow the Zakum to be secured, then continued up to its cockpit, looking back at the boy who followed behind her with a smile. "No Sam, you've done enough and deserve a rest." She replied, landing on his Zakum door and proceeding inside where she plugged an electronic tablet into its processor and began to run diagnostics on the machine. She was aware that the primary issue was the loss of its legs, as well as the large melee weapon shoved into its shoulder, but there wasn't much she could do at the moment, and sitting idle while her friends were fighting was driving her insane. With a huff Sam turned and looked towards the rest of the flight crew before setting off to find some way to help, even if it was only minor.

Looking up at space above the carrier, Marcus watched helplessly as three separate jet trails swirled all around them as the six pilots clashed over and over again, striking weapon to weapon and causing little flashes all across the sky. "Amaury," Marcus called out, using the scope on his rifle to observe the boy's fight against the female pilot. "How are you holding up kid?" He asked as the boy spun around, swinging his heat hawk down on top of the beam saber again; his hair drenched in sweat from the intense fight which at this point had been continuing for close to fifteen minutes. "I'm okay. I've almost got her." He replied as the female pilot, feeling just as worn out, scoffed.

"I don't think so, 'kid'!" She yelled, mocking Marcus as she struck at Amaury, this time using her fist to hit his cockpit as he blocked, the electronics inside flickering intensely as she did so, only fueling his anger more. "Damn you, I've had enough of this!" Amaury yelled out, swinging his axe furiously down onto the Kampfer, striking and then quickly pulling it back for another strike, each time quicker than the last as his patience died. "That's it, give it all you've got; when you slip up, it's all over!" She cackled again as she boosted forward, slamming into him and causing him to rebound back; her opening. Thrusting forward she lifted her saber to strike the boy again, but as she did so, Tome flew from below at full speed, swinging her own heat hawk at the girl who quickly deflected the strike and retaliated, severing Tome's right arm from her Zakum, leaving her weaponless.

"Haha! I told you boy, I-" The Kampfer pilot exclaimed, turning quickly back to Amaury, who much to her surprise, unleashed his strike; slamming his heat hawk into the Kampfer's head and down into the cockpit, just as he had done with Monty during the simulation training. The superheated weapon tore into the Kampfer's torso, disabling the machine's reactor and rendering it useless to the fight. As the machine went dark, the woman's fate was unknown, but it did not matter. Turning his attention back to Tome he grinned a bit, though upon seeing the severed arm of her Zakum floating next to her shook his head. "I'm sorry Tome; I didn't mean to let her damage your suit." Amaury apologized as Tome scoffed. "I'm still in this fight, don't write me off yet!" She exclaimed, still undefeated as she pried the heat hawk from her other arm. "Amaury, Tome; Monty and Geoff are both facing off against the remaining Kampfers on their own. They need your assistance." EWACS command advised as they towards the two remaining Kampfers and team mates, trying to evaluate who needed help more. "I'll go assist Geoff, you go for Monty." She stated as Amaury agreed, watching her boost off as he turned to the Kampfer next to him, still amazed by its speed and agility; in its hand, still powered on, was the beam saber she used. Floating over her pried it from the machine' dead grasp and deactivated it. "This will help." He said quietly to himself before boosting towards Monty, who from the looks of it had his hands full.

"Monty, I'm approaching." Amaury radioed his commander as Monty boosted back and dodged both beam saber slashes from his opponent. Over the course of his fight he had lost his GM's left arm, as well as having acquired several slashes across the body of his unit, though none were serious. "Nah kid, I'm good. Go help Geoff." The man replied, not willing to admit that he was in trouble besides the fact that he sounded uneasy, his opponent mostly untouched save for the severance of his long range antenna. Seeing the boy approaching the Kampfer leader turned and looked to where he had fought his wingman, seeing the mobile suit floating motionless in space. "So you defeated Latty, eh?" He asked with a groan anger, his mono-eye turning towards Amaury as he moved into position near Monty and deployed the beam saber's yellow blade. With a scoff the enemy burst forward towards them, forcing the two rebels to lock blades with him; one per each saber the enemy possessed.

"The cost of this battle keeps climbing. I can tell you and your whole crew are a very skilled group of combatants." He stated, careful to monitor Amaury's heat hawk bearing hand. "But it doesn't matter; I will still come out on top!" He growled, opening fire into the GM with his head weapons forcing Monty to evade, leaving just him and Amaury; their weapons quickly locking together. "You know for someone I strike as barely over the age of twenty, you are very good it seems." The pilot taunted Amaury as the boy pushed into the pirate, boosting forward to break the deadlock and then back and up. Following close behind the boy the pirate swung to strike at his legs, just as he had done to Sam, but Amaury pulled them up to avoid both blades. Going on the offensive as the boy spun himself upside down, he boosted down into the pirate, ramming into him with his shoulder and knocking him off kilter, the two adversaries locking blades once again.

Returning from his evasion, Monty sped towards Amaury and the Kampfer but slowed as his GM began to lose power; unbeknownst to him at the time, one of the slash marks in his torso exposed the inner core of his mobile suit's, and when the Kampfer fired at him only moments prior, damaged essential power distribution equipment. "Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Monty yelled in anger, watching helplessly as Amaury fought the extremely dangerous pirate by himself. "Amaury, my suit is fucked!" He called out, attempting to position himself towards the _Bastille_. "I will be right back; hold on." He demanded of the boy, commanding him not to die as he boosted himself with what little power towards the _Bastille_ , all while Amaury clashed in a rapid fury against the hostile pilot. If Monty was outmatched by this man, what chance did he stand against him? He had to try though, for if he failed, this opponent would just continue to rip through his friends until nothing remained. Boosting backwards Amaury avoided losing his right foot to the beam sabers and swung his own from underneath, slashing up and across the Kampfer's chest, though he did not critically damage the machine. "Guah, a lucky strike!" The Kampfer pilot called out, striking at the boy to no avail, but knowing that his luck couldn't last forever; he needed to find a way to end this fight before he wound up dead.

Having received a heads up from the bridge that Monty was returning to the hanger with a disabled mobile suit, the hanger doors opened and a large mobile suit catching net was deployed, designed for specifically this kind of situation. Monty's calculations were correct and without much correction his crippled GM floated into the net, slowing to a complete stop after few moments. Wasting no time the flight crew descended onto the suit, opening the hatch manually to release the unhappy Monty from his suit. With a bit of apprehension Carina floated over the suit and came to a stop next to him while he searched around the hanger with his eyes for Sam's mobile suit, which had since started to undergo reconstruction in an effort to get another suit into the combat. "Fuck!" He growled, slamming his helmet into the GM below in anger before turning to the girl next to him, who looked to him with concern.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She asked with genuine concern, despite their current status; the man shaking his head. "No, I'm fine. But Amaury is out there fighting the same guy who did this." He said while motioning below them at the shredded mobile suit they stood on, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "He needs help, or he doesn't stand a chance." Monty exclaimed, looking down to the jacket she wore, but the girl did not notice his sight; hearing Amaury was in danger caused her heart to race and her stomach to turn. How much danger? Was he alright? "W-What do you mean? Is he injured?" She asked, unable to see anything outside of the hanger from where they were. She had preferred it that way, not wanting to see what was going on outside as their friends fought, but now knowing for a fact that Amaury was in trouble she regretted having not paid attention to the battle itself. Watching as her facial expression turned to one of sadness and anxiety, Monty knew it was true; they were definitely developing feelings for one another. "I don't know, his suit is banged up as well." He replied, trying to gauge just how worried she was. If it was true, their feelings only interfered with his plan slightly, and now was not the time to deal with it for letting the boy die would be a great detriment to the Movement. He showed potential, and despite Amaury's unintentional efforts to drive a wedge into his plan, he had grown fond of him as a protégé. "I've got an idea." He stated, heading for the nearest exit from the hanger as Carina watched him, waiting for him to leave before making her way to the bridge of the _Bastille_. He had to be okay, he promised! "Reo, you are in charge!" She called out as he acknowledged, sensing the concern in her voice.

Making her way to the bridge of the ship the acting first mate of the _Bastille_ stood at attention, saluting her as she immediately made her way to the window and looked out, her first glimpse of the battlefield. Shredded and mangled mobile suits floated all around, some of which arced with energy from their damaged Minovsky Reactors, and others had been reduced to bits. Her eyes scanning for any signs of the battle, which came a few moments later as Amaury flew past the bridge as the Kampfer followed close behind him, it's eye scanning the group on the bridge as it passed by, hell bent on destroying the boy, then the remaining two, securing their hard fought victory over these thieves; no longer interested in preserving the integrity of the suits for his Lord. Watching the chase take place, the girl ran to the nearest headset and picked it up, listening in for any chatter amongst their pilots, picking up first on Geoff and Tome's fight against the only other remaining Kampfer.

"Tome, watch!" He exclaimed as Tome evaded a strike of the hostile beam saber, blocking with her heat hawk and pushing the enemy back. "Damnit, this never ends!" She angrily groaned, swinging the blade back at her enemy in an attempt to behead the unit, though it didn't work. Hearing both of their voices she sighed in relief, knowing that they were both okay for the time being, and turned her attention towards Amaury who fought his enemy alone, his suit battered and worn as it boosted back towards the _Bastille_. Her eyes focusing as he spun and clashed against his enemy, she nervously brought her hands to her mouth, hiding her face with the sleeves of Amaury's jacket; unable to separate her vision from the two mobile suits as they frantically danced and collided.

"Marcus, it's Monty, can you hear me?" Monty called out to the man, choosing his words carefully as Marcus replied. "Yeah, you alright?" He questioned, having watched his disabled GM float into the _Bastille_ about ten minutes prior or so, unsure what was wrong with it. "Yeah, I'm alright. Listen; you know that thing you did earlier to help Tome?" He asked as Marcus thought about it and nodded, realizing that Monty was not saying what the 'thing' was so that the hostile pilots did not hear. "Yeah, want me to do it again?" He asked as Monty chuckled. "Something the likes of it, come over here to the _Bastille_ ; you'll see me." He stated as Marcus turned over towards the other ship, spotting Monty standing near the main weapon of the ship. "On my way." He stated, boosting towards _Bastille_ as Monty turned his attention to Amaury.

"Amaury, when I say so, fly towards Marcus; straight at him, and don't let up until you see the 'thing'." Monty instructed as Amaury seemed a bit confused. He was not deployed at the time of whatever this 'thing' was, so he was going off of the two men's cryptic message, though he knew that whatever it was it couldn't be as tedious and unproductive as the current game he played with the enemy. Dodging another swing of the blade Amaury was not so lucky; the beam slashed into his torso as the world slowed down, allowing him to boost away from the blade to prevent being cut in half while Carina's gasp of horror echoing through the radio. Sparks flying in the cockpit, the boy screamed in anger as he chopped the heat hawk into the Kampfer's shoulder to escape; letting go of the weapon as he boosted away, leaving a trail of coolant from his reactor as he did so; his time left in flight now limited. "You look a little worn down boy; let me fix that for you." His adversary teased, boosting into him with the full force of the Kampfer's might, smashing him into the deck of _Warsaw_ , quickly boosting away from the blades as they cut into the ship's hull.

"Amaury, are you alright?!" Carina called, knowing that the blade was almost into his cockpit before he managed to escape it, the Boy's head turning towards the bridge of the _Bastille_ at the sound of the girl's voice. "Carina?" He asked, a little out of it from exhaustion and battle fatigue, blocking another strike form the Kampfer as sparks continued to shoot into the cockpit. "Is that you?" Hearing the boy's voice she gasped in relief. He didn't sound to be in the best of condition, but he like the others was alive. "Yes Amaury, I'm here. Are you holding up okay?" She asked, watching him clash feverishly against the Kampfer again, over and over. "Yeah, I'm holding my own… a little banged up, and my suit is leaking coolant, but I'm alright… ngh!" Amaury replied, grunting as the Kampfer swiped at his suit, tearing the left arm from the Zakum. "Just hold on a little longer, we are going to get you help!" She called out, biting her lip as the Zakum's arm slammed into the deck of the _Bastille_ , rolling to a stop where Marcus now landed, Monty' standing on his cockpit entrance, positioning him exactly where he wanted him. "Right here; stop!" He instructed Marcus, as he watched the boy's struggle to survive above, the two ascending way past the view range of those on the ship. "Alright Amaury, now!" Monty called out, and looking down the boy located Marcus, and sped towards him, the enemy in tow behind him.

"You can't run from me!" The Kampfer pilot stated with a laugh, as Amaury spun, spray coolant in his face as he swung down towards the boy who blocked with his own weapon, kicking the Kampfer in the head and knocking his vision off a bit, much to the displeasure of his opponent, who screamed in anger. Looking down towards the _Bastille_ , Amaury believed he spotted the 'thing' and holding his breath, boosted straight towards it. Fixing his vision, his enemy followed at max speed. "I said you can't run from me!" He screamed at the boy, who spun, flying backwards for the last second or two before making a hard, negative-g boost to his side revealing the triple-barreled cannon of the _Bastille_ 's main weapon aiming right up at the Kampfer. Realizing what lay on the other side of the boy, the pilot's eyes grew wide. In his rush to finish the boy off he had not paid attention to his surroundings and walked right into the boy's trap. "I'm not." The boy replied in a stern voice as the cannon fired, catching the Kampfer and tearing the legs clean from the mobile suit. Unable to slow himself down, the Kampfer, or what was left of it, slammed into the deck below, forcing the pilot to use his hands to slow the suit to a stop directly in front of Marcus.

After a moment or two of silence as the pilot remained in shock, his eye twitched and he screamed loudly in anger. "You… you tricked me!" He cried out, still alive inside of his cockpit prison; his suit's mono-eye looking up to the green Zaku next to him that lifted its leg and placed it on top of the torso to prevent him from flying off. "No," Marcus began with a huge smirk, crossing his arms. "We _beat_ you!" He laughed as Monty leaned back up against the cockpit of Marcus's Zaku, sighing in great relief that his planned worked. On the bridge Carina jumped up in excitement, knowing that their enemy was defeated, watching as Amaury's crippled Zakum hovered above the burning Kampfer. "I can't fuckin believe it." Marcus called out, looking up at Amaury above him. "You alright?" He asked as Amaury nodded, turning to the hanger's entrance at the edge of the ship, knowing he had no choice but to land, despite the fact that Geoff and Tome still fought on. "Carina, I'm bringing this in." He stated as the girl's eyes widened and her smile increased. "Alright, I'll be right down!" She called, immediately heading from the bridge to the hanger in a hurry.

Listening to the two's radio chatter, Monty couldn't help but smile a bit, much to Marcus' surprise as he focused on the man who still stood at the entrance of his cockpit in confusion. Receiving a warning from above, both Monty and Marcus looked up as the last Kampfer sped off towards the disabled Kampfer Amaury had destroyed, grabbing the wreckage and heading out towards the cruiser in the distance, obvious that they were preparing to retreat; something that Monty was not going to allow. "Marcus, how many rounds do you have left?" He asked as he floated from the Zaku back towards the bridge while Marcus checked, having forgotten due to the excitement of the battle. "I still have three." He stated, watching on his screen as Monty entered the _Bastille_. "Shoot out their rear engines, and their rear turret. I have a call to make." He stated, closing the hatch as Marcus grinned, harboring a wild guess as to what exactly this phone call was about. "My pleasure." He replied, taking aim at the ship in the distance and discharging his rounds one by one.

"WHAT?!" Lord Kirun screamed in anger, standing up from his chair as his last Kampfer began to retreat, knowing that not only had he lost his assumed prizes, but that he had also lost the battle and would have to retreat; something he did not take pleasure in doing. "I'm sorry Lord Kirun, but there is nothing we can do; we have no more mobile suits." His hanger operator called up on his commlink, the Captain smashing it in anger on the ground, growling as he played with the decision. Retreat was a disgraceful thing, but then again, so was losing everything he had worked for his entire life. "Full retreat, let's get out of here." He ordered, the ship immediately making a hard turn to the left before being struck by something. "What the hell was that?!" Lord Kirun called out as alarms began to sound on the Bridge. "Sir, we've lost engine two!" A crewmember called out, unwilling to believe it. They were attacking his ship now too?! "Full power to engine one, breakneck speed!" He called out as a second shot impacted the rear of the ship, destroying the second engine.

"Engine one is now down! We are sitting ducks!" The same crewman reported as yet another round struck the carrier, destroying the rear facing main gun. "Sir, we've lost the rear cannons; they are free to assault us from behind." The Master of Ordinance onboard the ship reluctantly reported, infuriating the captain, who was unsure what to do. Unable to run and unable to fight back, he could attempt to barter his way out of the situation, or scuttle his who vessel, knowing that the enemy he fought would not be interested in prisoners. "Lord Kirun, there is an incoming communication request from the enemy, sir." A crewman declared as the pirate lord growled in displeasure, rubbing his face with his hand in anger. "Put it through." He reluctantly agreed, plopping into his chair as the screen in front of him illuminated again, displaying Monty in his own Captain's chair, sitting in a smug position as he stared into the camera.

"Well, well, well. This is the crew who _attempted_ to rob _us_?" Monty opened with, mocking Kirun's initial contact with them a few short hours prior, causing the pirate lord to scowl in anger. "I've got to hand it to you kid; your little group of brats did well. I lost a lot of good men out there tonight." He admitted, holding his head up with his hand in defeat. "What exactly is it that you plan to do? Shoot us down? Rob us some more? What?" Kirun asked as Monty looked down and tapped his fingertips together in a condescending manner, laughing as he did so. "No, no. We are not going to rob you." Monty replied, lifting his head back up to the screen. "I think you are going to give us the items we request without question or a hard time, and we in exchange will allow you to walk free from this encounter scot-free; we will forget all about your transgressions and the next time we meet, it will be on friendly terms. We will also be so kind as to return your rather feisty first mate back to you, unharmed. However, if you so choose to decline, I will turn your vessel to scrap metal, killing everyone on board and then taking the items we desire regardless." Angered by Monty's words, Kirun stood up and waved his hands. "Our transgressions?!" He yelled, pointing to the screen.

"You stole from our supplier first; this entire sortie is because of your little gang of misfits!" He argued back as Monty glared. "History is written by the victors my friend." He replied, sitting forward in his chair menacingly as he stared down the pirate lord, who stared back for an extended amount of time before agreeing with a nod. "Fine." He replied, sitting back down in his seat, his head returning to his hand as he looked away in disgust. "Give us an hour and I will have my assets pooled into the hanger for inspection." He added as Monty grinned. Though he had achieved the goal of this communication, he still held one more trick up his sleeve; an opportunity he couldn't pass up. "Good, good! Now, as a matter of our first business endeavor, I have a proposition for you." Monty added as the pirate lord scoffed. "What could this possibly be?" He asked as Monty smirked, leaning back in his chair with his hands folded in his lap now. "The location to Heaven's End."

Hearing the words, Kirun redirected his attention to the man on the screen. "Heaven's End?" He asked with a small chuckle. "What would you possibly want in the city of thieves?" He inquired as Monty laughed, staring at the man once again through the screen. "As you have seen, I am building an army, and need 'things'. You know, fuel, ammunition, mobile suits; the works. Especially after today's little encounter." Monty replied; Kurin staring him down the whole time. "Even with the coordinates to Heaven's End, you will never get it; they will shoot you down long before you even dock without blessing from a pirate lord." He stated, as Monty held out his hand in a manner in which to insinuate Kurin should keep talking, to which Kurin sighed and closed his eyes. "And you want me to give you my blessing." He finished as Monty nodded. "There you go! See, we can be civilized, can't we?" Monty continued with a laugh, the pirate lord obviously annoyed. "It's going to cost you; enough credits to repair my ship, my remaining mobile suits, and a half million more." He counter offered, knowing that giving his blessing to access such a placed for a meager cost would ruin reputation, to which Monty smirked. "I think you'll find that this deal will be satisfactory for everyone involved. See you in an hour." He added, cutting off the transmission as he sat back in the captain's chair and grinned from ear to ear; more than satisfied with the deal they had just secured for themselves.

"Was that your plan all along?" Elise called out from her spot, hidden behind a set of large data banks at the rear of the bridge. In this position she had remained for most of the battle; arms crossed and skeptical eyes watching every move the rebels made during the fight. Hearing the voice Monty turned his head to look over his shoulder, still sitting victoriously and with no plan to leave his rightful place until it was time to board the enemy ship. "Ah, Elise! I was wondering where you had gotten to; still unwilling to show us that good old Ridden spirit, eh?" He asked with a small laugh as the girl stared at him, her face devoid of emotion, though his words pestering her. "My skills are not some sort of display for you to exhibit in an attempt bolster your command." She responded with a harsh tone as the man smirked, looking back out into space to make sure their defeated adversaries did not doing anything frisky in an attempt to avoid their tariff.

"I'm offended that you would think of me in such a way, Elise. I am not some common criminal or warmonger." His comments left a bad taste in her mouth, knowing well that he was attempting to use his charm and Carina's innocence as a weapon to keep her obedient to his hidden desires, whatever they may be. Formulating a response, she instead discarded it and looked back out at the hostile ship. "You never answered me. Was this your plan all along?" She repeated with a more of a demanding expression while Monty hummed in the thought of his satisfactory negotiations again. "Honestly? No; I had not intended for this to happen." He admitted, which was shocking to the woman who thought for sure he would claim it all as his grand plan.

"But I figured, with the beating we took today, we could use some supply; especially since the majority of our weaponry is traditional and ammunition is not something you just come across out here in the voids of space." Monty finished, standing up from his seat after all and placing his hands in his pockets, walking towards the bridge windows to catch a better look at all of the debris floating around them, then down at Marcus who maintained his control of their new prisoner. "I'd say it went pretty well." He added in an afterthought, Elise stepping forward a bit from her hidden spot to look around at the vacant bridge, then to the damage of the ship to their left. "You know it will not always go 'pretty well'. These men and women, or should I say boys and girls, have gotten lucky this far. This is war, and as such, people will die." She replied sternly, her dead eyes staring out into space as in the distance the reactor from a damaged mobile suit went critical and detonated. "Can they handle that?" She asked as Monty shrugged; a question he didn't truly have an answer to. "We shall see."

Entering the _Bastille_ 's hanger carefully the boy ignored both the smoke coming from inside his cockpit as well as the sound of Marcus' shots, knowing that even if it was an enemy mobile suit he could no longer fight on with his Zakum in its current decrepit state. His eye locked on the flight crew member who waved his damaged suit forward with a pair of cones, he backed the unit into its docking bay, just as an alarm related to low coolant in the Minovsky Reactor illuminated on his HUD. With a long sigh he sat back in his seat and looked to his left where the beam saber had penetrated into his mobile suit, creating a hole big enough for him to put his arm in, which had actually began to catch fire. Disabling his engine, he could hear the ground crew approaching the outside, their voices loud and clear due to the hole that had been carved into the side of his Zakum. Releasing the door, he stood from his seat and began to float forward, only to stop as waiting for him stood Carina. Looking up to her eyes it was clear that their message didn't need to be said; both were glad the other was safe. They smiled to one another before she looked inside of the cockpit, seeing the devastation that the battle had wrought, and began to look carefully at the boy's body searching for anything that could be wrong with him, skeptical that he could have made it out of that whole ordeal unscathed. "Are you okay?" She asked as he nodded. "Just a little banged up, that's all." He replied, rubbing his arm where he had received a particularly hard hit against the side of his console. She frowned seeing that he was in pain, but was thankful that nothing else was wrong with him.

"Yeah, I think everyone is a little banged up after that." She joked as he nodded, his face expressing just how exhausted he truly felt. Turning his head he watched as Geoff's damaged GM landed at the foot of the hanger, followed shortly by Tome's Zakum, also severely damaged from the battle. Seeing the result of all of her hard work returning banged up into pieces, Carina frowned and sighed. "Well, at least I know the Zakum works. Now I just have to build all them over again…" She said under her breath as Amaury smiled a bit, not really having the strength to laugh. "Don't worry, I'll help you." He replied in a helpful gesture, the girl turning to him with her own smile slightly restored. "Really?" She asked, stepping forward towards him a bit, pushing her finger to the glass of his visor, right where his nose was. "I'll hold that to you, you know." She added as Amaury nodded. "I would expect you to." His response came just as Geoff and Tome docked next to them and quickly disembarked their suits and spotting the two standing together.

"Hey!" Tome called out as both her and Geoff floated over towards them and stopped by their side, Tome jumping in to hug Carina while almost pushing her into the mobile suit lane, had it not been for Amaury grabbing Carina's hand and pulling the both back in as they laughed. "That was crazy!" Tome exclaimed looking towards Amaury, who pulled the helmet from his head as the 'all clear' alarm signaled. "And you; ramming and shooting that Ratnik out of the hanger?!" She yelled pulling her helmet off with the rest of them while she recalled the scene, Amaury shaking his head, his eye a little redder than it was the morning before. "I was just doing what needed to be done." The ever humble Amaury replied, smiling to Carina, knowing that had he not done that, she could have been killed; a violation of his promise. The girl returned the smile before Geoff spoke, placing his hand Amaury's shoulder, the other on Tome's. "Everyone did excellent today, especially you Miss Hughes. Your modifications to our mobile suits made all of this possible, and we all owe our lives to you." He stated as the girl blushed wildly, looking down at her feet with a smile.

"Don't thank me; it's my way of keeping all of you safe." She replied as Tome again squeezed her friend tightly, their faces touching as Carina laughed. "Hey guys!" Sam called out, floating up to them and stopping as Geoff reached out and grabbed him. "Hey! Are you alright Sam?" Tome asked as he nodded. "Yeah I'm fine, however I have a message. He said to rearm Tome's Zakum with a bazooka, and the rest of us to prepare to board the enemy ship; the Kidds Void Gang have surrendered. He said we are going aboard in one hour." He stated as they looked at each other. Surrendered? Is that what Marcus was doing outside, shooting the enemy cruiser? What were they going to do with pirate prisoners? "Alright, you heard the man. Let's go to it. The sooner we get this over with, the better." Geoff instructed as they scattered, all going about their task to prepare for boarding.

Within an hour they found themselves standing in the hanger of the pirate cruise, aptly named the _Kirun's Pride_ ; the pirate Lord Kirun himself and the rest of his men standing in the center. The Zeon crewman surrounded around them in full combat equipment, save for Carina's engineers who wore the basic body armor for their protection should the deal fall through, as well as Carina herself; Amaury's jacket still displayed in plain sight underneath it without care if Monty noticed. As promised, not a single shot was fired, and amongst the Zeon pilots the handcuffed pirate Kampfer pilot stood under Marcus' control; released from his cockpit prison as part of the agreement. As an extra insurance against any aggression, Tome stood above the entire assembly in her one armed Zakum, ready to intervene should the need arise.

"Well, here we are." Monty began, walking past Carina and Amaury, who volunteered to be her personal guard for the endeavor. "Just as we agreed; you take what you want and leave us alone?" Kirun asked Monty nodded with a grin. "Of course! Oh, and here is your first mate back." He stated as Marcus unhandcuffed the pilot that had once challenged their very existence, gently nudging him to walk back to his pirate brothers and sisters in the middle of the room. Once the pilot rejoined his ranks, Monty clapped his hands and walked forward towards the mounds and mounds of equipment and ammunition in the room, motioning for several of his soldiers to search the storage areas for anything else. "I trust you wouldn't hide anything from your new friends, right?" Monty asked as Kirun shook his head. "No, even I know better than to risk destruction for something as petty as a worldly possession." He replied as Monty laughed again. "See Amaury; Honor among thieves." He stated, looking over his shoulder at the boy, who knowing he meant something else, looked away. He didn't think it was possible, but this version of Monty made him feel even less comfortable.

Taking a deep breath in an obnoxious way, he exhaled and looked around. "Well Carina, have a look around. Point out what you want for your projects." Monty commanded, motioning for her to start looking around. Nervous amongst the pirates, Carina looked to Amaury, who carrying a submachine gun now, nodded and followed behind her as she started down the first row of munitions and weapons; her fellow engineers doing the same down the flanks, flagging anything of interest or necessity. Watching Carina's movements, Kirun turned to face her as she walked by him, feeling her out to be the head of the engineers based on the way Amaury guarded her, as well as the way the others conversed with her regarding parts. "You? You are the mastermind behind those modified Zakus?" He asked as the girl turned and looked at him and nodded cautiously. "Yes." She stated as the man laughed a bit, though it was not a hearty laugh as he had done previously.

"I would have never guessed such a young girl could come up with such an impressive vision for a mobile suit that was made nearly twenty eight years ago, designed and constructed within the hanger of a vessel in barely three days. A design that competed so tightly against our Ratniks and Dubisars; mobile suits engineered by a well-known company through years of research and development. How is this possible?" He asked, purely curious, the girl scratching the back of her neck. "She's the daughter of two of the most well-known Zeonic Company engineers known to mankind; it's in her blood." Monty replied for her, causing her to scowl at him as she sighed, that information not public knowledge; even Amaury only knew that they were engineers, no more. "Well, to be fair, I've had the designs in my head, and on a pad of notebook paper, for a few weeks now. But other than that, it just comes to me." Carina replied as the pirate lord laughed, assuming this was a joke as he gently pushed her shoulder in a joking manner, causing Amaury to raise his weapon to the lord; unsure what to think of the gesture. All he knew was that he had pushed her and he was not very fond of it. Seeing the weapon pointed towards him he stared down to the boy, his eyes seeming to pierce into the boy's soul.

"And you, who seems so protective of this girl." He stated, taking a step towards the boy who moved in front of Carina in a defensive manner while Monty watched from his nearby stance in curiosity. "I know you; I can see it in those eyes of yours. You are the rookie who fought with such ferocity against First Mate Douglas here for nearly twenty eight minutes by yourself, as well as taking on Latty for another thirty five." The pirate lord stated, continuing to stare at the boy. "How?" He asked as Amaury continued to stare down the pirate lord, refusing to answer until finally after a few tense seconds the pirate lord laughed. Confused, Amaury lowered his weapon and followed Carina again as she tugged on his arm gently. "I think he's crazy." Carina stated with a hidden laugh as they walked down the rows of parts, the girl pointing to piece after piece as Zeon soldier's marked the items behind them.

Eventually the two came across a massive pile of mobile suit parts, some of which included parts from the Kampfers they had fought that day; still warm to the touch in the cold hanger. Amaury walked up and placed a hand to the bare metal, recalling the battle as if it was happening over again before his eye; the speed of, its agility and the fearsome presence the monster commanded against the Zeon pilots on the battlefield. "Carina," Amaury called, looking at the deactivated head of the behemoth to the side of them. "Do you think it would be possible to rebuild this?" He asked, turning to her as she too looked up at it. "Possibly, why? Is that something you would want?" She asked him return as he looked back to the Kampfer, recalling just how hard it was for him to even land a single hit on one. "If possible, yes. That way one of us will have a great speed advantage. These things were fast and extremely deadly." He answered as he spun back around to the girl, trying not to admit that these mobile suits had captivated him this much; the smile across her face proving that his ruse was not as effective as he would have hoped.

"Amaury, do you want me to build this for you? You can tell me." She asked with a small laugh, refining her question a bit. She could clearly tell that the boy held interest in the suit, and the thought of designing something for him specifically caused her to face to darken with a smile. Thinking about it for a minute or two as he looked at the machine, he finally nodded. "I would like that." He replied, knowing that with a machine like this he could not only take the fight to their enemies harder, but also help keep his friends safer. "Then of course I will." She replied and marked the pile of parts for reclamation while the boy looked to her with a smile, then to Monty who stood on the other side of the hanger from them, staring at some kind of mobile suit covered in a tarp.

"Ey, Kirun. What is this?" Monty asked, attempting to pull the tarp up, but underneath was simply a mobile suit frame with no distinguishable features. Walking over to the man, Kirun huffed. "This old thing?" He asked, snapping his fingers for some of his crew to come help pull the tarp back, revealing the unarmored head of the machine. "It is _supposed_ to be a Gundam frame; left over from either the Titans or the E.F.S.F. itself, I'm not sure which. We picked it up for a bargain nearly ten years ago from some traders near Mars; real weird folk, such as yourselves." The pirate lord replied with a small laugh, kicking the transport that the frame sat on. "The problem is, we've never been able to get the damn thing started; it uses a special reactor that we can't repair and can't replace. You are more than welcome to have it; not like we have a choice." Kirun stated as Monty stared at the frame, his eyes widening as a small smile grew on his face and his hand raised to claim the frame with a single word. "Perfect."


	13. Chapter 13: Rebuild and Destroy

"The bottom line is that something has to be done. The merchants that travel the Earth Sphere shouldn't have to worry about whether or not they will be raided by pirates between stops at the colonies and the mining sites." A councilman from Earth stated amongst a meeting of his peers, looking around at each one individually as he spoke. The issue was one that had plagued the Federation for some time now; criminal elements robbing, hijacking and destroying vessels that were out past the Federation's sphere of control on essential journeys to Earth's furthest populated areas. "Why is the E.F.S.F. not heading out to these reports to investigate?" He questioned, looking to another amongst the group on the other side of the table a fee seats down; the elderly man's uniform clearly showing that he held quite the position of power within the Federal Navy, likely an Admiral of some degree. His hands stayed folded in front of his bearded mouth as his eyes shifted up towards the councilman who questioned the Navy's response to the pirate threats.

"Well, the answer is quite simple; we don't have the manpower to do so. Taking from the sphere's core to head out into deep space takes away from the ability of the fleet to keep the Earth and the colonies safe." He replied as a few laughed and some others whispered to one another about the Admiral, who seemed less than pleased by their ridicule. "Safe from what? Asteroids?" One scoffed as the Admiral's glare turned on him. "This isn't about your crackpot theories of a Zeon remnant attacking Earth again, is it Cousland?" The head of the Federation council asked as the Admiral turned to him, scowling upon realizing who had made such a comment; a young man by the name of Dorian Wright, barely over the age of thirty. He held no respect for those who came before him and was rushed into office in a political power play to change the direction of the once strong Federation. This was the kind of men the Federation had defaulted back to in peacetime just as they had before the war.

"It has been eleven years without as much as a whisper of any kind of fourth Zeon uprising. Eleven years." The counselor stated in a matter-of-fact manner, sitting straight up at his seat at the table as he continued to challenge the Admiral in a staring contest. "Not Zeon directly, Counselor. But there are plenty of others that would contest and harm the people of Earth and her colonies. Rebels, insurrectionists, terrorists; even the pirates we are here to talk about. Threats are out there." Admiral Cousland advised, while lead Counselor Wright shook his head and sighed. "Do you have any evidence to support that there is an immediate threat to Earth or the colonies?" He asked and immediately the Admiral stared without a word. Evidence of imminent threat? There was no such thing; not yet, anyway. Without admitting his lack of evidence, Cousland turned back to face forward in silence, causing Counselor Wright to smirk.

"That's what I thought." He replied for the Admiral, lifting his head as he took a deep breath. "So we are all in agreeance then? Something has to be done, and it shall be the Navy's responsibility to handle it. Is that understood Admiral?" Wright asked as the Admiral reluctantly nodded. With a large smile related to his victory, Wright stood from the table and looked to his peers. "Excellent! I would say that this concludes our conversation for the day gentleman. I will see you all again in three weeks, and Cousland; I will look forward to your report." Wright instructed with a brief smile, though it was clear that the only joy he was experiencing was in the tight hold he held on the man's throat. Unamused, Cousland simply nodded and stood with the others, leaving the room once again in defeat.

Walking back through the halls back towards his office, he stared down at the floor; disappointed both in the council's failure to understand the source of his concern as well as the lackluster job he had done preparing for another one of Wright's meetings. For nearly six years he had held the position of Assistant Director of Naval Operations, and for six years he had fought against the Federation's constant downsizing and retirement of their naval forces; especially the retirement of the Gundam program, which had long kept Earth safe. Just because they had achieved some level of peace amongst the colonies and Earth did not mean that the threats had gone away. The people of the colonies had long shown their tendency to rebel against those who ruled over them; not of necessity, but for their own wellbeing. Left to their own the devices the colonies would slip into disarray and war, destroying one another just as the nations of Earth had done during the third world war.

But yet these newcomers, these young guns and dreamers that flood the Federation, they do not see it. They had not seen the carnage and destruction wrought by the colonies during the one year war. They did not watch cities and entire continents disappear from the face of the Earth. No, they only read and look through pictures on the internet and in books, they do not feel the toll, and they do not understand that what he seeks is for the safety and prosperity of all of mankind; no matter the cost. Approaching his office the Admiral quickly made his way inside and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it well before approaching his desk and setting his briefcase down. With a heavy sigh he removed his hat and place this down as well, then made his way to the window, overlooking the great city of New York, situated in the old North East of the United States. It had undergone much change since the One Year War, and was but a shell of its former glory, but it was beautiful to him all the same; especially at sunset.

Picking up a glass from the display next to him, he grabbed the nearest bottle of liquor and poured himself a glass of imported bourbon; UC 0068, a fine year, and one of the last shipments to come from the colonies before the One Year War. Old enough to fight back then, but not to drink, he saved it to open until the war was won, though due to constant aggression from the Spacenoids, that would not come for almost twenty years later. With a final look out of the glass window of his office he took his glass to the large mahogany desk where the sun lay and sat down, looking at a report he had received the day prior from an associated of his in the outer rim. Taking a sip of his bourbon he looked over it one more time, reading each line carefully as he formulated in his mind the correct course of action to such news. After finishing what had to be his seventh time reading the letter, he turned to the phone on his desk and picked it up, dialing into their secured communications network.

"Operator." The voice on the other line stated, confirming that he had dialed correctly for the network, to which he replied one sentence. "Get me Cordova." His voice sternly commanded as the operator began to switch-board him through the secured network to his desired location. "Contacting Special Operations Base Cordova, please standby." The operator replied as the line fell silent, with only a light beeping tone audible to remind the Admiral he was still on the line.

"Admiral Cousland," A voice on the other line stated with a bit of an upbeat tone, surprised to be receiving a call so late in the evening. "What an unexpected surprise." The Admiral took another sip of his bourbon, looking down to the files on his desk. "It's been a short while Delacout. How's the Alaskan weather treating you?" He asked as on the other line Delacout looked out the window at the dark night sky, snow falling over the small base of operations he maintained watch over while listening to the phone call on speaker phone. Being one of the few young officers that Cousland could stomach, Delacout was a redheaded man in his late twenties who made his claim to fame quelling a series of mining colony uprisings a few years prior; true wetwork that would have been beneficial to Cousland's plight now, though these files were to never be released under any circumstances.

"Cold, and at this time of year, dark. Thought I can't complain really. How are things in New York?" Delacout asked in return as the Admiral huffed with a bit of a snicker. "Shitty, like usual. The council the President of the Federation appointed just doesn't get it; no matter how hard we fluff it." He replied, looking down at his drink as he swirled it around in his hand. "And to make things worse, I got a message from our friend in the outer rim two days ago. It seems his load of mobile suits has been stolen. Some group claiming to be fighting for the 'freedom of all who live in space' intercepted a fuel freighter that was contracted to refuel his two transport freighters. They docked, assaulted and boarded the vessels, and then managed to fight off the pirate lord as he attempted to reclaim his weaponry." He complained, his voice seeming a bit more intrigued than anything else.

Delacout sat back in his chair and looked back outside at the falling snow, scratching his head in thought. "The 'freedom of all who live in space' huh? Zeon related, perhaps?" Delacout question as Admiral Cousland scoffed. "If that were true, this would be a massive breakthrough for us Delacout; which means that isn't the case, knowing our luck." Cousland complained, still swirling his liquor in a mesmerizing fashion, staring intently into it as if to focus on the conversation better. "More than likely they are some kind of rival pirate faction who got word of the shipment. You know how pirates are; no more loyal than the dollar amount they receive. Despicable lot." Delacout chuckled at the Admiral's views on the pirates, knowing very well that if it had not been for the dire situation at hand, the Admiral would have already hunted down and destroyed every war band and gang of pirates out in the voids of space.

"But let me guess; Lord Kirun requested that we deal with it, and let me guess _again_ , you want to send Cerberus Division?" Delacout asked, impressing the Admiral with his ability to foresee just what would be asked of him. "If you would be so kind; this operation is quite delicate, and I can't think of anyone better to send but our star wetwork operator and his protégé brother." Admiral Cousland responded as Delacout now looked up to his younger brother Tegan, who sat silently across the desk from him, listening intently to the conversation. "I'm game." Tegan replied as the Admiral chuckled on the other side of the phone. "Good kid, good. That is what I like to hear; the true Federal fighting spirit reborn." He laughed, taking yet another swig of the glass of bourbon to finish it off; the clunk of the glass back down to the wooden desk clearly heard through the phone.

"We will head out first thing in the morning. Any idea where they are heading now?" Delacout asked, writing down a few key details on a notebook in front of him as the Admiral groaned in exhaustion, leaning back in his own chair while watching the rest of the sunset, pouring himself yet another glass to help deal with the disappointing evening at the council meeting. "The last he knew they were heading towards Heaven's End, having given them permission to do so. You'll never find Heaven's End, however, as even Kirun won't betray the location of the criminal underworld's only remaining fortress. You will have to search for them out there; I will provide you with their last known location. Sound good?" The Admiral asked as Delacout nodded and replied. "Yes sir."

Shortly following the completion transfer of parts and supplies between the _Kurin's Pride_ and their own vessels, the Zeon Reformation Movement set out on a course to Heaven's End with a promise to Lord Kurin and his crew that they would send a tow vessel upon arrival. From the coordinates that the pirate lord provided, the navigators determined their journey out to Heaven's End would take an additional two days, and under Monty's orders, an encrypted message was sent to the _Tortuga_ , ordering them to press forward past their initial rendezvous location to Heaven's End; Captain Monty unwilling to wait the additional two days in place. With their vessels and mobile suits damaged as well as their ammunition, fuel and food supplies diminished despite a slight resupply from their cache of Kurin's goods, Monty believed this would be their best course of action. All hands were on deck for those two days in flight, with everyone who was able to assist in the reconstruction of their mobile suits doing so, no matter the task.

As he promised, Amaury assisted with the recovery of their machines following the battle with Lord Kurin as well; a large task giving the amount of damage their three existing Zakums took. Carina's plan had originally been to create two more Zakums from the parts they had in their inventory, however that number quickly reduced to maintain a fleet of three for the time being. Tome's Zakum received an arm from one of the projected constructs while Sam's received the legs. Amaury's suit was essentially constructed over again from the ground up; the damage sustained to the torso module as well as the reactor was too great to repair while in space, and would require proper dry dock facilities. Monty's GM was in the same situation and as a result it was sacrificed to repair Geoff's GM back to full working order. Even though he had lost his mobile suit for the time being, Monty had a hard time expressing any sort of displeasure, for just as Amaury had asked Carina to rebuild the Kampfer for him, Monty had instructed her to restore and construct the Gundam frame, which would be under his command once completed.

This was not entirely Monty's decision, as it was decided that the most experienced and skilled pilot would use the vessel; which just so happened to be Monty, though Geoff's name was originally mentioned before he declined to pilot the suit. Carina's task was not an easy one however, and as Kirun stated in the hanger that night, the Gundam frame was in an advanced state of disrepair. Due to its Minovsky reactor being unique to the unit, it was not an easy fix, and the girl spent nearly six hours on the first day of the project trying to even gain access to the reactor. Once inside she grew even more confused; Federation Minovsky Reactors were typically quite different than those produced by the several Zeon manufacturers, but this reactor did not appear to be from any unit she had ever seen in pictures of read about. Although she continued to gain ground here and there, she frequently became frustrated with the machine and would go back to Amaury's project to clear her mind, as luckily it was a different story. Despite its complex nature compared to other mobile suits, the Kampfer was still much less complicated than the Gundam frame and she had been able to appoint some of her general crewman to reassemble the machine up to a certain point.

This allowed her attention to remain primarily focused on repairing any damage and improving the machine past its original limits, while right by her side remained its future pilot. With everything that had happened so far on their journey, and now knowing the dangers that lay in wait for them in space, Carina made it her mission to spend as much time as she could with her friends, though most of that time was spent with Amaury. She didn't mind however as he seemed to reciprocate this intent, and to many around them the two seemed to be nearly inseparable. This included Monty who could feel his influence slipping away from the girl by the day.

"Alright, now go ahead and fire up the thrusters; only half power for now." Carina instructed as the boy sitting patiently in the cockpit did as she asked, gently increasing the throttle as the Kampfer's back thrusters slowly fired up and increased; the unit remaining stationary due to being locked down to the deck for the test fire. The project was still in its infant stages; guaranteeing that the machine ran well at its baseline while gathering information and data about how to improve the design, since not much information was available on the suit itself. Reaching half throttle Amaury stepped out onto the cockpit hatch and looked up to Carina who floated above the machine, taking notes down on a yellow notepad.

"That's half thrust; all reactor readings are normal." He called out to her with a bit of a yell so that she could hear him over the loud hum of the reactor and the thrusters. "It seems to be running well, but we won't know until we get it out for a test flight. I don't want to run the full thrust while it's in the hanger." She stated while writing down her calculations before looking down to the boy with a smile. "Alright, you can shut it down." She instructed, the boy acknowledging with a nod before heading into the cockpit to throttle the monster down; its reactor hum slowly decreasing until little more than an occasional pinging noise due to the heated metal cooling down in the cold hanger bay. Floating over to the cockpit she stopped on the entrance door and stepped inside, ducking to avoid hitting her head on the low hanging entranceway. "How did it look from above?" The boy asked, looking over the instrumentation all around him, still having a hard time believing that just two days prior this machine was in the hands of their enemies. Finishing what she was writing on her notepad Carina looked up to her partner and smiled, turning the notepad in her hand towards him.

"It went well. Even at half thrust this machine reaches close to eighty percent of what a Zakum is capable of, so at full power it appears this machine will be at least fifty percent faster and more agile; give or take a bit depending on the payload it is hauling. That is its default as it sits right now, and I'm not sure if that is before or after Kurin's tech crews worked on it. I'm going to see what I can do." She replied as he looked at the paper in her hands, though to him most of it was incomprehensible. "I'm not sure what any of this means to be honest, so I'll just take your word for it." He replied as she giggled a bit, turning to look at the screens inside of the cockpit as well. "You trust me so blindly; it puts much more pressure on my shoulders you know!" She teased as the boy shook his head and say back in the seat to give her more room as she floated over him, her lower back almost making contact with his face. "Well it's not really blind trust." He replied, causing the girl to look down to him, her face darkening a bit when she realized just how close she had come to landing on his lap. Just his smile alone was enough for her to understand that he trusted her with his life; something that she did not take lightly in any manner.

Quick to reposition herself she turned around so that she was facing towards him from an elevated position. "My only concern as far as the integrity of the suit goes is the armor is rather thin, even around the cockpit. I'm going to try and improve that as much as possible without sacrificing too much mobility." She added, biting the inside of her cheek as she flipped the page to an external sketch of the cockpit she had doodled earlier with several optional armor pieces in different configurations drawn around it. "Any one of these will increase the safety of the cockpit, even if just by a bit." Unable to see the sketches she had made from his seated position, Amaury stood up to where they were almost pressed against one another, taking the left side of the tablet in his hand while she continued to hold the right. The close proximity to him brought the girls eyes to his face, so close to hers that she could clearly hear his breathing. Did he intend to be so close?

"You don't have to worry about it too much Carina, I'll be okay. I just gotta keep 'em from hitting me, that's all." The boy replied with a smile, knowing that the more work she had to do on the Kampfer the more she would stress and with the pressure to finish the Gundam for Monty, he knew she was under enough stress as it was. Turning to her he watched as she huffed and playfully pulled the tablet from his hands. "Do you really think that's good enough for me? To just hope you won't be shot from the sky?" She asked, staring with her green eyes at the boy in front of her who was so frivolously willing to risk his life to save her from working harder. "Anything over an 80mm round will easily shred through this cockpit armor and turn you into nothing more than… nothing." She added as the thought of what could happen forced a shiver to run down her spine. She had seen the aftermath of the battle with the pirates; pilots torn to shreds, reduced to nothing more unidentifiable pieces of flesh and bone. She couldn't bear the thought of that happening to any one of her friends.

"My job is to keep all of you safe. And if a few more hours of work keeps you safe, then every second of it is worth it to me." She replied in a stern manner, biting her lip to keep from adding any more to her plight while she continued to stare at him. Sensing that she was upset with his downplay of the situation, Amaury continued to stare into the captivating green orbs before him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He replied looking down at the floor of the cockpit before her hand reached up and lifted his chin, bringing their eyes back together while her face reddened, replying in a soft tone. "Don't apologize. Just remember that your life isn't just yours to throw away; there are others who care about you." Did she mean she cared? Of course she did, he was her friend after all. Her hand still holding his chin, he knew she expected an answer and after only a brief moment longer he nodded. "Yes ma'am." He whispered in reply before her stern look broke into another smile, and her finger pressed against his nose. "Good." She replied with a hum before turning and floating out onto the ramp of the cockpit, landing at the end as she turned back to the Gundam at the next workstation.

His face beet red, Amaury followed her out of the cockpit and focused on the Gundam as well. Without any armor on the machine, it was impossible to tell what it once was, while at the same time leaving the frame open for whatever Carina could design. "Any idea for the frame?" Amaury asked as Carina shook her head and sighed. "To be honest; no, not in the slightest. It is a lot harder to get running than I thought it was going to be, and until I figure out what its reactor is capable of, there is no sense in pipe-dreaming a workup for it." She admitted turning towards the boy's darkened face. "But that won't stop Monty from asking me every time he sees me how it is going, and complaining when I inform him that it wasn't going well…" She said softly as almost instantly Amaury could tell that Monty was being rather hard on the girl about it. Two days ago they were fighting and now he was asking for favors? Sure, he was the commanding officer of the fleet at the moment and the Gundam being active would be another mobile suit for them to utilize, but to pester her about it like that? Surely he had to understand how much pressure she was under taking care of the whole fleet as well as trying to design a functional Gundam around a frame that hasn't run in what seems like a decade.

"Carina, I'm sorry… I can talk to him if you'd like." The boy whispered, seeing from the corner of his eye the man they spoke of approaching. Seeing it too, Carina shook her head and sighed. "No, no. It's okay; I don't want to drag you into this mess." She whispered back as Monty waved to them on his approach; the two waving back out of courtesy. "Thank you though; it means a lot." She replied with a kind smile as Monty drifted to a stop on the hatch between them before Amaury could protest and voice his concern. "Well good evening to the two of you." He stated, looking up at the armless Kampfer they stood on. "This appears to be coming along swimmingly if I had to say so, though alotta good an armless suit will do you out there Amaury!" Monty laughed as he jokingly hit Amaury's back, the boy staring at his leader with only the hint of a smile visible across his lips; unhappy with the way he was treating Carina. With the absence of a reply from the boy, Monty turned to Carina and then to the Gundam frame. "How about the frame? Any luck getting that reactor started?" He questioned like clockwork; just as Carina said he would.

Looking to Amaury first and then to Monty, Carina sighed as she too looked towards the frame next to them. "No, not yet. I just don't understand it. It should be like all of the other mobile suit reactors, but it's just a very strange and temperamental design; it had to have been created by either a small time company or maybe it was a prototype." She replied as Monty's somewhat content look faded a bit, looking to the girl from the corner of his eyes. "I will figure it out eventually though; it is just taking some trial and error. I thought it was going to start this morning, but unfortunately it did not. A few more days and I will get it going; I promise." She replied with in a confident but apologetic manner, knowing that this was currently the highest priority on Monty's list of things that needed to be done; a fact represented by just how intently the man listened to her words. After a moment or so he sighed and turned his full attention back to frame before them, crossing his arms.

"That is a shame. A Gundam's power is something that is universally feared and respected throughout all of humanity, and to possess such a weapon would surely push us above what we are capable of now. Maybe you should spend some more time trying to get it running; really pull out all of the stops. You've seemed rather distracted as of recently and I'm concerned your work is suffering." He replied to Carina in an almost scolding manner, his eyes shifting towards Amaury as the two stared at one another; the boy angrily grunting under his breath, his hands at his sides tightly clenched together. Was he really going to insinuate that she wasn't doing everything she could to get it working? It sure was easy for him to stand there and act tough, despite not being the one who has to deal with the problems.

"She's been working non-stop for the past five days to get us ready; she and her team have barely had a break to sleep or eat." Amaury interjected without thinking before Monty could speak again. Carina's eyes shot back to Amaury's to stop him, but it was too late; he couldn't take back what was said, even if he wanted to. Why would he do that? Arguing with Monty would get him nowhere, even if it was in defense of Carina. Staring down the boy, Monty turned towards him and crossed his arms. "And you don't think I know that? We've all been working around the clock. Carina's job here is very important and I don't think you understand that, do you?" He sternly questioned, leaning forward a bit to the boy, whose stare had yet to break; involuntarily locked into the contest with his commanding officer. "Of course I understand that, I just-" Amaury attempted to defend himself, stopping mid-sentence as Monty's patience grew thin. "Then why are you bothering her? Can't you see your 'friendship' is interfering with the completion of her job; a job which directly coincides with the success of our mission? I think maybe it's time you two spend some time apart; you know, especially since she is 'not on the market', and we all know that is what you are really after." Monty scolded the boy, his attention not leaving his face for a single moment until finally he turned towards Carina with a small scoff; Amaury's face bright red with embarrassment and his fists clenched in anger. How could he say that, especially in front of her? That wasn't true; he wasn't looking to steal her away from him. Or… was he? No. No, that wasn't right. He wouldn't do that!

"Why don't you go do something useful and man your Zakum, Dietrich? We are about to enter Heaven's End's perimeter, and if for some reason that snake Kirun didn't transmit the authorization for our landing, we are going to be in for a fight." He instructed before the boy could form a reply, angered at Amaury's continuing opposition. With intense difficulty the boy's vision turned from Monty back to Carina as his heart pounded in his chest. What sort of damage did Monty just cause? He didn't think any of this really meant what Monty was insinuating, but deep down, was that the boys goal after all? His heart heavy with what the girl must think of him following Monty's accusation, his eyes shifted to the ground below them and after a moment he reluctantly saluted Monty and jumped from the platform, heading towards his temporary Zakum on the other side of the Gundam frame without a word.

Monty's vision followed him the whole time to prevent him from turning back around to speak to the girl, grinning in the victory he had created for himself in the form of their separation. Once the boy gained some distance from them, Monty turned back to Carina to speak, but she girl seized the initiative from underneath him and spoke first. The whole time the brief argument carried on she stared at them back and forth, but at Monty's mention of what Amaury was 'really after', her vision locked to the boy. On the market? Did Monty really believe that this was what Amaury sought from her? They were just friends; what appeared to be nearly best friends, but just friends all the same. She couldn't deny that this feeling she felt inside for the boy had led her to question what she too had wanted from this friendship of theirs, but she did not expect the boy to feel this way; if that were true. Was it true? Regardless, she was infuriated by Monty's behavior. "Why would you say that?" She questioned, stepping back from him a bit as a surprised look spread across his face.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, attempting to play innocent, but the girl wasn't buying it. Scowling to her boyfriend and commander, she turned to watch the boy as he drifted away towards his mobile suit, his eyes heavy as they drifted back to her momentarily over his shoulder. "What I _mean_ is why are you being such an asshole Monty? He was just trying to help prepare his mobile suit, he… he wasn't trying to do anything else." She stated back in annoyance, turning to face Monty once more with her arms crossed as he did the same. "Really? Come on Carina, look at you; you are wearing his jacket for fuck's sake. Are you really going to tell me something isn't happening between you two right under my nose? I can see it; everyone can see it." He questioned as the girl looked down to the jacket, her face clearly as red as could be. Maybe he was right; maybe this wasn't just a friendship. But if it wasn't a friendship, that would mean it was something more. Is that what Amaury wanted? Is that what he truly desired? But Monty was right, she was in a relationship with him, no matter how lacking and incomplete it may be. Swallowing nervously, she looked back up to her commanding officer and cleared her throat. "Monty… I t-think we need to talk." She stuttered just as the General Quarters alarm began to play overhead.

"General Quarters, General Quarters. All hands to battle stations; standby for entrance to Heaven's Gate perimeter defense. Prepare to repel possible hostiles." The voice announced, this time much calmer than it had been two days previous. Knowing that this was not the time to fight any longer or discuss the matters she needed to, Carina took a deep breath and sighed, watching in the distance as Amaury climbed into his Zakum and closed the hatch. "Shall we continue this later?" Monty asked with a smug look, seeing now what truly was happening and knowing what to expect from what she was about to say, finding his little disruption rather comical. Since he first noticed the connection developing between the two of them he had begun rewriting his plan; inserting multiple contingencies for this exact situation had it come to fruition. While a minor setback, this would not ruin his plans. If anything it would make them a bit easier in the long run. Glaring back at the man beside her Carina placed her notebook under her arm and her hands in Amaury's jacket pockets before pushing away from Monty, floating towards the exit from the hanger, every bit of her being fighting the desire to chase after Amaury and apologize for Monty's behavior.

Entering through the initial perimeter towards Heaven's End the crews of both _Bastille_ and _Warsaw_ were placed on a General Quarters standby, just in case Lord Kirun had not been faithful to his word. The secret base was located within a rather thick asteroid belt to aid with detection as well as to disrupt incoming fleets who desired to attack; whether it be the authorities or renegade pirate factions. Upon entering the asteroid field itself it would take a few minutes until Heaven's End became clear to them; a rather tense few minutes for the crew, who remained on edge the entire time. After a few minutes, or what seemed like an eternity, they received an oddly welcoming transmission across their radio frequency.

"Cargo vessels _Bastille_ and _Warsaw_ , we've been expecting you. Welcome to Heaven's End. You are cleared to land at docks seven and nine; ground crews will be with you momentarily." The voice called, much to everyone's surprise. "Son of a bitch; Kirun kept his word." Tome called out with a smirk to the other pilots as Sam laughed. "These pirates have a very strange code of honor. You beat them in combat; they become your best friends. Right Amaury?" He questioned, turning his attention to the video screen to his right when his friend did not answer in a timely manner.

"Amaury?" He asked while the boy, knowing that Sam looked to him through their video connection, reached over and disabled his video feed; in no interest to chat at the moment. He did not intend to be rude to his friend, but he remained infuriated by Monty's behavior. He truly believed that he was trying to steal Carina from him, which to the boy's knowledge was not his plan. They were friends, and he wanted to be there by her side in the hanger working on that machine; wanting to spend time with her before by some course of fate it was all taken away. Thinking about it over and over made him start to believe in what Monty had said. Was he interested in her past their friendship? Even if he was, there was no way she could express these feelings back. There was no way such an intelligent woman could ever be interested in a street criminal like himself. It just couldn't happen. He had nothing to offer her, nothing to give her. Growing sicker to his stomach by the second his grip tightened on his controls while his teeth ground together in anger. At the same time, why did the thought of Carina remaining with Monty make him so angry? Why was he so infuriated by this? "Amaury, you there?" Sam questioned a third time, bringing Amaury back from his thoughts. He certainly was persistent, but the boy determined that it was best that he didn't risk taking his anger out on anyone else.

"I'm sorry Sam, I'm not in the mood to talk." He replied quietly while keeping his eyes on the doors to the hanger, knowing that although they had been granted clearance to land, they might still be in danger. "He's right Sam, stay focused; we might not be out of this yet." Geoff instructed in agreement with Amaury. He could tell from the boy's voice that something had happened, though he didn't understood entirely. "Sorry man." Sam replied as the ships began to progress deeper into the asteroid belt. Listening from a headset on the bridge Carina could hear the sadness that came across loud and clear in Amaury's voice. Clutching her chest with the boy's sweatshirt curled in her palm, she closed her eyes and frowned. She knew that this was partially her fault, but she still couldn't believe Monty would act in such a way. Insinuating that Amaury was the reason the Gundam wasn't done, telling him to keep his distance from her; it wasn't right; regardless if it was done as her commanding officer or her boyfriend.

He did not own her; she was free to do as she pleased. What she had once believed was the stress of his responsibility now turned into the fear that the power of his command had gone to his head, and she was sick of it. Her eyes stared at the back of Monty's head while he stood at the _Bastille_ 's captain's chair in disgust. He was so quick to claim she belonged to him, but when or where it really mattered he wanted nothing to do with her; unless he wanted a favor or a task done. As if sensing her eyes, Monty turned to her with a smirk, forcing the girl to look away towards the other side of the bridge where she now noticed Elise stood; her arms crossed as she looked over to her. Her stare was a bit unsettling, but after a moment the woman's appearance softened and she disappeared back into the ship.

Before long the crew watched as Heaven's End became visible through the asteroids, taken back by what they saw before them; a massive asteroid that from the outside was evident to have been hollowed out and a city built within its rocky hull. Structures that resembled skyscrapers shot out from various locations, and scattered across the surface multiple defensive hard points could be seen, as well as what appeared to be external drive yards for docking and ship repairs. A few of the crewman on the bridge stared in shock, including Monty whose grin beamed at the sight of the fortress city in front of them. "Well, I certainly didn't expect this; looks like for a gathering of criminals they must have some form of class." Monty stated, noticing the rather luxurious looking city before them. As they approached the two docks they were assigned to and slowly nudged their way forward until properly placed in the docking area; the facility grav-locks to the sides of their hull engaging and locking the two vessels. They wouldn't risk shooting down a vessel attached to their home; they made it. Standing down the General Quarters, the Mobile Suits on deck returned to their docking pays, and the pilots exited one at a time, approaching the nearest viewing port in the hanger's hull.

"Wow! Look at the place!" Sam exclaimed, seeing the city that outside of the _Bastille_ ; it's lights glowing bright against the darkness of the asteroid field. "This place is huge! I thought it was going to be a dump for sure." Tome added, gliding to a stop near the window and jokingly bumping Sam from the window. "Hey!" He exclaimed as she laughed, Geoff floating over as well to look out at what his subordinated gawked at. He had long heard of Heaven's End, but had never suspected this would be the great fortress of the pirate gangs. From the corner of his eyes he watched Amaury emerge from his Zakum, but instead of coming to the rest of the pilots, the boy floated off on his own, to where he did not know. Knowing that something greatly troubled the boy, he remained silent, instead turning to his two wingmen next to him. "Alright you two, stop lollygagging; we've got work to do." He instructed, floating towards the exit of the hanger as the two looked at each other and followed behind. There was much to be done, and not a whole lot of time to do it.

Exiting from the Bridge as the ship's engines dropped to a low idle, Carina turned to return to her quarters to think about what she had to tell Monty, as well as Amaury. This could not be allowed to continue; she had to break the tension before the weight of these feelings crushed her, or forced her to make a mistake that killed someone. Turning left and heading down into the _Bastille_ , a hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into a side hallway. Turning to see who it was with a bit of anxiety, her eyes shot up to the long strands of blonde hair floating all around the tall woman in front of her. "Elise?" She asked, immediately wondering what sort of lecture she was about to receive from the woman who she already clashed with once before and had avoided since. "What do you want?" She questioned, not in the mood for any more fighting or drama, and true to Elise' portrayed demeanor, she simply stared to the girl for a moment analyzing the tone in her voice in annoyance. "We need to talk." She replied finally, motioning for Carina to follow her; the girl remaining still for a moment. Did she want to follow her? What could she possibly need to speak with her about? With a sigh, Carina decided to follow her without regard to their past encounter, knowing that if this stern, unfeeling woman reached out to her, it had to be something of importance.


	14. Chapter 14: Heaven's End

Out to meet with their hosts from Heaven's End, Monty, Geoff and several other crew members entered the main service corridors leading out from the ships and into the asteroid. "Check out this place, eh?" Monty questioned his friend as the two reunited in the middle of the main shaft between the two cruisers docked next to one another. "Could you have imagined in all the years we spent hunting this place that it would look like this? Or that we would be invited to step foot here as guests?" Only having seen the engineering level of the massive rock fortress they were already impressed. Beneath the outside dry docks were even more shoring facilities for both large vessels and mobile suits, some of both could be seen being constructed in various locations including the Ratniks and Dubisars they had fought a few days prior; still painted in what was assumed to be an unpurchased, factory color scheme.

"I've got to admit I am impressed. This is much more sophisticated and organized than I could have ever imagined." Geoff replied, watching the two halves of a Ratnik frame being assembled together; his eyes shifting to the side as a small group of Heaven's End officials floated towards them. Seeing that this was likely their version of a Port Authority officer and an armed escort, he turned back to their own armed escorts in combat gear and motioned for them to remain calm. Even with these people amongst them being pirates, they were friendly to both them and their cause since everyone aboard both the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ were now traitors, terrorists and criminals in the eyes of the Federation; though they had yet to be revealed as such.

"Ladies and Gentlemen; Welcome to Heaven's End!" The authority officer called out with a wave as he approached, landing to a stop under slight artificial gravity directly in front of Geoff and Monty who shook his hand. "My name is Docking Officer Bradley and I will be your contact for any kind of sales, maintenance, loading or unloading for the duration of your stay here on Heaven's End. We run things a little different here as opposed to other space ports you may have been to, but for good reason I assure you." Officer Bradley stated as Monty nodded.

"Well thank you Officer. My name is Monty, commander of this little crew, and this is my left hand man Geoff." He replied as Bradley nodded, writing down their names so that he could remember them more easily amongst the influx of people they regularly receive. "It's nice to meet you both. We often receive visitors here, but rarely are they new faces. Lord Kurin spoke highly of both of you and your crews. Quite a rarity if I must say so; you must have really bested him." The officer added as Monty looked to Geoff with a grin of satisfaction while his friend shook his head, disbelieving that the pirate lord would say anything nice about the team of revolutionaries that had just killed so many of his men and critically damage his vessel.

"Now that our introductions are finished, let's get started. What services can we start off with today?" Bradley asked as Monty looked back to the crewman from his fleet that came forth from the vessels, expecting to see Carina as he had instructed her to do so before their fight for this exact reason. "Well, eventually our lead engineer and third in command will surface, and she will have a plethora of tasks that need completion. But for now, both the _Bastille_ and the _Warsaw_ here are in need of repairs, refueling and rearmament. We can start there as that is the easy shit, and when 1st Lieutenant Hughes shows up, she can sanction more work; I give my permission for her to also be an authorized representative. We are also expecting another ship within a day or two, the _Tortuga_." Monty stated, wondering where that girl had run off to. This was exactly what he knew would happen should her infatuation with that street boy be allowed to flourish, and hopefully this would be the last time she disobeyed what he had instructed her to do. All he needed was for her to remain under his direct sphere of influence a little while longer, and then she could run off with whatever street scum she wished.

"Alright, duly noted. We will begin the repairs and such as soon as possible. In the meantime feel free to explore Heaven's End; find a nice place for your crew to stay and relax on top off picking up and ordering supplies and equipment. I won't ask what your ultimate goal is with all of this military-grade hardware you seem to be in possession of, but sense you could use some more. Our weapons and armor shops are that way; used and new as well." Officer Bradley stated, pointing off past where the Ratniks could be seen being assembled to which Monty waved it off. "We will let Hughes handle that stuff. She's the nerd; she can go play in the junk." Monty replied to Geoff's surprise. He did not sense even the slightest bit of a joke in his voice, believing his comment to be more of a derogatory statement. Was he fighting with Carina? Did this have something to do with Amaury's glum mood as well? "C'mon Geoff, let's go secure some lodging for the crew. I need to make a call back to Dresden as well. Krupp will be interested in our progress, and I need to check on our financials before we accidentally bankrupt the Republic before it even forms." He instructed with a laugh, walking towards the residential block of Heaven's End, Geoff following behind with their escort a few seconds later.

As the crews from both ships made their way into the main Heaven's End docking substructure to great the incoming ground crew, Carina continued to follow behind Elise as she continued to walk deeper into the storage areas of the _Bastille_. Having little idea who this woman was despite the fact that she had been part of their crew for nearly a week, the girl remained on her toes, careful each step of the way that this woman wasn't leading her into some kind of trap. "Where are you taking me?" Carina asked, trying to gauge exactly what all of this was about. Did Monty send her to talk about the Gundam? Or about Amaury? Neither of those subjects were something she wished to discuss at the moment; especially with her.

"Somewhere we can talk in private." Elise replied, looking around each room before walking through them, a habit she had practice since she was a small child that she never quite outgrew; even though both vessels were secure in the hands of the Movement forces. Looking around the room as well, it didn't take long for Carina to notice that they were alone, but yet Elise pressed on, moving further into the belly of the ship. "Why not talk here? We are alone, and to be honest I already don't want to have this conversation." Carina stated as she came to a stop and crossed her arms, looking to her side at several stacked crates of ammunition, stolen from the pirate Lord Kurin. Listening to the girl speak Elise turned around and stared at her. She was unsure what was intended by her statement, but she did not appreciate the attitude. "I am trying to help you." Elise replied as her blue eyes narrowed on Carina's, though he face was unwilling to express any kind of hint to this fact. "Help me what? See things Monty's way?" The girl fired back, her patience wearing thinner by the moment. "What did he send you to do? Convince me to worker harder to restore _his_ Gundam? To focus more on work and less on my friends? Or is it just Amaury?" She added, growing more and more upset by the second until finally Elise spoke up.

"Listen!" She finally yelled in an effort to quiet the girl's frantic questioning, raising her hand up to her eyebrow and pressing against her forehead with a sigh. "Like I said, I am _trying_ to help you." Repeating herself over again she walked forwards towards Carina and took her wrist, dragging her behind the ammunition containers. "Hey, let go!" Carina complained, pushing her hand off as Elise huffed. "Monty didn't send me to do anything. I cringe at the thought of helping that man." She replied with a stern tone, looking to the side and then back to a confused Carina. Despite the fact that she did not know the girl, nor did she know or particularly care for the men and women of this crew as a whole, she did not appreciate such a disgusting abuse of their Commander's power; having experienced something similar done upon herself in the past. Unwilling to divulge all of the information she knew about Monty's plans, as doing so would likely allow Monty to easily track it back to her and jeopardize her mission, Elise decided to take a different approach. Taking a deep breath to collect and formulate her plan strategically, she looked back to Carina with her unnerving gaze.

"Do you care for that boy?" She asked in a very blunt fashion, catching Carina off guard as a heavy blush spread across her face, her heart accelerating faster than before. Did she mean Amaury? No, she had to have meant Monty, right? Unless Monty told her about what he suspected between her and Amaury, but at the same time, based on her comment about the man, she couldn't believe that either. "W-Well, I mean… Monty-" Carina began before Elise spoke again, cutting her off mid-sentence with a wave and shake of her head. "No, not him. The boy. The Newtype. Amaury." Elise corrected over and over as Carina's eyes darted down to the ground. She did mean Amaury. "I know w-who you are talking about, I just… why? Why do you ask?" She questioned as Elise's eyes remained locked onto the girl, causing her to become more uneasy. If it was one thing she hated more than anything it was when someone did not answer her question the first time, forcing her to ask more than once.

"Do you care for him?" She questioned next, much to the Carina's displeasure. Why was this stranger asking such a personal question? They were not friends, and barely knew each other. What did she care, and what did this have to do with anything? What exactly did she mean by care? Of course she cared for him; she cared about all of her friends. But with Amaury it was something more, and she knew that now. Apparently _everyone_ knew that now. Elise's gaze still upon her as their eyes met, Carina's heart began to race faster, knowing that if she didn't answer now the question would just be asked again. What should she say? Could she admit to liking the boy more than just a friend, even to a complete stranger who held no connection to him? There had to be some rhyme or reason to her questions, and if it did involve Amaury, she wanted to know; even if that meant admitting what she had been feeling for the past few weeks.

Swallowing her pride Carina nodded slowly, her eyes once again drifting down to the floor, unable to speak the words the choked at her throat; Elise's face devoid of any change in emotion. Despite the girl's lack of verbal response, she could clearly confirm this notion by her heavy blush, slow nod and the way that she held the boy's sleeves close to her chest the whole time, as well as the aurora that seemed to radiate from her. These types of feelings and emotions were not completely absent from her own life, and despite how little she experienced them, she understood them well.. The first part of her plan complete, she stopped for a brief moment to think of the most effective way to go about the sensitive subject.

"Then why are you not with him?" She asked calmly, bringing Carina's eyes back up to hers. Why was she not with him? Because she was with Monty, and until recently she was alright with that. It wasn't until the two started to better know each other that this burning in her chest at the thought of the boy began to surface. "W-Well, because I didn't want Monty to be upset." She stated sheepishly while biting the inside of her lip. The comment felt stupid leaving her mouth, as if something a teenager would say; willing to save someone's feelings regardless if the situation at hand. "I don't like hurting people, and I thought Monty would be upset, which in his position would hinder us all." She added for some context, unsure if it was helping or hurting her point in the long run.

Truth be told, this had become the reason she had yet to confront Monty about their lackluster relationship; one that she had originally held high hopes for. Even when Monty began to change under the weight of what she assumed was his command she held on, hoping it would get better to no avail. In fact it had gotten worse now, to the point where dealing with his attitude was challenging; only alleviated by Amaury's presence and the way he treated her and made her feel. "If you don't like hurting people, you are in the wrong business." Elise stated almost instantly, interrupting the girls thoughts and causing her to blink with surprise. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath immediately following her sentence end, Elise apologized. Fighting her habits and trying to be nice to the girl was difficult and more of a challenge than she had anticipated.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate. What I meant to say is that you shouldn't just stay with Monty to make him happy. Do you think that he would do the same for you? Is your happiness worth that to him?" She questioned the girl, who found herself thinking back to her time with Monty. Until now she had failed to find any sort of fault in Monty's behavior, but now looking back, it seemed that Monty had put himself before her on several occasions; most recently with his expressed desire for her to focus all of her time on the Gundam frame despite the fact that she had been working around the clock, as opposed to Amaury who was concerned and urged her to rest. Amaury even volunteered to help with all of the work, while Monty simply kept himself high in his castle and expected to reap the rewards of her hard work. As the troubled look spread across her features, Elise continued, speaking her most important point. "If Amaury is who makes you happy, I would say you need to follow your heart."

Taken back by the ice queen's rather sympathetic apology, and even more by what followed, the girl swallowed nervously; her hands clutching together tighter at her chest. Follow her heart? She was telling her to be with Amaury? Why? Why did she care enough to offer her opinion, despite only knowing them a few days? "F-Follow my h-heart? You mean… b-be with A-Amaury?" The reddened girl stuttered, nervously clearing her throat to stop the stutter. "I… why?" There had to be a reason why this woman was telling her all of this, there was no other explanation. For as cold as she had been the last few days to the crew, as well as herself, there was no way that her opinion was coming purely from the heart. Was she personally after Monty, using her words before as a distraction? If that was the case, did she really care that much if she took him? "Why s-should I be with Amaury?" She questioned again, taking a move from Elise's own handbook and not allowing the woman much time to think; something Elise did not overly appreciated, but understood. "Well, because you love him, don't you?" She replied, more of a statement than a question, causing the other girl on the end of weighted question to freeze.

"L-L…" She stuttered nervously, her eyes open wide and then back down to the floor, hiding her cherry-red cheeks from the blonde. Love him? Did she love Amaury? Was it possible to love someone without even being in a relationship with them, or knowing them only a few months? Could it be possible this was the strange feeling that harbored itself in her heart when thinking of the boy, talking to him or from him just being near? His smile; his laugh; the way always said the right things; they all brought this feeling forth, even from the darkest moments filled with dread, and his touch seemed to calm her within an instant. Even his coat around her, despite the fact that he had not worn it for a few days now, seemed to keep his warmth with her at all times. If this feeling truly was love, then every other instance of what she thought was love in her life failed to compare to it.

Watching the girl in front of her meltdown at her suggestion, Elise smiled. It seemed she may have succeeded in her mission to drive the final wedge between her and Monty; a mission that while small, made her feel personally accomplished, knowing that she would be free of his little game. "Well, it seems I've left you with a lot to think about." Elise stated as she began to float away from the girl, who snapped forth from her thoughts and looked to the woman as she floated away. Was she really going to leave after such an unexpected bombshell of a conversation? "Wait, I still have questions!" She called out, her cheeks still dark with the thought of the boy as Elise shook her head, having said her bit. "The rest is up to you Carina. Follow your heart." She repeated again, coming to the bulkhead door frame and stopping. Turning back to the girl she realized she did have one little piece for the girl to contemplate before she left.

"I would just recommend you stay away from Monty, should you choose to end things between you two. I don't trust him, and neither should you; regardless of what you believe of him." The mysterious blonde added before disappearing out into the hall and away from the site of their little chat, leaving Carina alone with just her thoughts; her eyes fixated on the door as if waiting for Elise to come back and say more until after a brief moment, she floated back down to their hiding spot and stood still. "Follow my heart…" She repeated to herself, feeling her heart pound against her chest still. Did her heart really desire to follow Amaury? Looking back on the past few days, it certainly seemed so. From the beginning of their journey back on Dresden, throughout Operation Duality and their fight with Lord Kurin, she had a hard time recalling any moment she didn't spend worrying about her friends but even more so, worrying about Amaury.

Watching him fight brought her heart to a standstill, and every moment was spent wondering if he would return to the ship in one piece, followed by the horrifying reality that he could possibly not. Was this love? Hearing someone approach from the next storage compartment over, Carina's attention returned to the world around her and her tasks at hand. Swallowing nervously, she shook her head to try and shake the decisions and thoughts in her mind as she floated towards the exit. She was due to report to the Heaven's End shipyard engineering team as requested by Monty, and given what was to come, she didn't want to anger him even more than he surely would be soon.

Having set off on his own course following the 'all clear' signal, Amaury made his way to the only place he knew there wouldn't be anyone during their docking sequence; their bunkroom. Rounding the corner into the small room he shut the sliding door and locked it before coming to a stop in the middle of the room between the four folding bunks, staring into the corner of the room where their lockers were; dark from the boy's failure to activate the lights. His eyes remained locked forward as his mind raced in every direction possible, all at once. How could Monty say that in front of Carina? Surely she must think he was some kind of disgusting pig; trying to steal her away from the man she surely must care for. But… was that what he was trying to do?

Up until now he would have never in a million years believed it, but thinking back now it was evident he thought much more of her; well past just a friend. Even with his limited experiencing in love he could see that clearly, but he had intended to keep these feelings a secret, knowing that she could never feel them back. Pulling his helmet from his head, he looked down at the faded green as if he was staring into his own soul; squeezing it angrily between his hands. Monty's words may have ruined their friendship, and the thought made his chest hurt as his heart raced. Their friendship meant so much to him, and so little to Monty.

"Fuck you Monty… and your big fucking mouth!" He growled from behind his teeth as he threw his helmet as hard he possibly could against the lockers, smashing the face piece as it impacted the metal doors and floated back harmlessly; his eyes darting between each bit of glass. What should he do now? What could he do? He had to live with both Monty's scrutiny and Carina's judgment; hoping that she could not hate him as much as he believed she may now. Remaining still, the boy continued to seethe in anger as the world around him grew darker; his thoughts taking hold. How could he be such a fool? This was not the reason he joined The Movement; how did it end up like this? Do these things really just happen? Was it just the girl's appearance? She certainly was attractive; her long black hair and bright green eyes catching him in a trance every time she was near him. No, it wasn't just that; it was much more than that. It was because of the way she treated him; the way she spoke to him even knowing what his past entailed; even just the way she said his name was enough to cause his heart to flutter, or so it felt so within his chest. Why? Why did these things happen?

Although Amaury's intention was to remain hidden while he sifted through the minefield that was his mind, he did not remain undetected. "Amaury?" Marcus asked, opening the door to their dark bunkroom and turning on the light. In such a deep state of thought, the boy had not realized the door had opened, and as the lights turned on he spun around and locked eyes with his friend; his hand on the sidearm strapped to his side. "Whoa, calm down there partner." Marcus instructed, holding his hand up to signal that he was a friend as Amaury's hand moved away from the back strap of his pistol. "Oh, Marcus… I'm sorry. I just… you caught me off guard." He replied, turning towards the door completely as Marcus looked past him to his smashed helmet floating freely in space. What happened in here, did Amaury do that to his own helmet?

"You okay?" He questioned as Amaury nodded. He didn't really have a choice but to be at this point, even if his whole body wanted to shut down from the immense burden his mind carried. "I'll be alright. Is there something that needs to be done?" He asked in return, looking down to the floor, still disgusted by the situation as Marcus nodded and motioned out into the hallway with his head. "Yeah actually. Geoff wants you and me to go with Carina. Apparently she is going out to look for parts and to sell some of our inventory we don't need and she needs an escort." Marcus replied, bringing the boys eyes immediately back to his with the mention of Carina's name. Was he really going to be seeing her so soon after what had just happened? "C-Carina?" He questioned, biting his lip as he stuttered unintentionally. "Yeah, your woman. Let's get going, she is waiting." The man chuckled as he turned around to leave the room, unaware of the situation at hand, which luckily Amaury understood. Should he decline to follow? Certainly Geoff would understand given the circumstances. But at the same time, the girl was heading out into Heaven's End; a place supposedly filled with pirates and criminals. If she was going to be placed in even the slightest bit of danger, he wanted to be there regardless if she now hated him. "Right. Coming." He called back to Marcus, now a bit down the hallway as he followed behind, his heart pounding again in his chest. What would become of this?

Having exited the ships after her conversation with Elise, Carina stood at the entrance that led to the seven and nine docks, both directing her fellow engineers and workers as well as speaking to Officer Bradley about the services their little fleet required. The damage to the ships was to be repaired as Monty had instructed earlier, but given freedom to renovate and retrofit the fleet as needed, some changes were to be done as well. The cannons on the two main turrets were to be removed and replaced with long range missiles capable of tracking and damaging both mobile suits and other vessels, as Carina understood they could not risk losing their fleet in open combat with Federal Salamis-Class cruisers. Both ships were also to receive whatever sensor and communications upgrades Heaven's End had available, and the reactors and engines were to be serviced and tuned to meet their needs. As far as mobile suits went, the damaged Zakum core was going to be repaired by the technicians in the drive yards, while the GM would be sold to recoup some of the cost of the repairs. Several of the other non-Zaku models in their hanger, most of which were inoperable, were to be sold as well in an attempt to standardize their forces and minimize the diversity of interchangeable parts. Finishing the signature for the transactions as Marcus and Amaury approached, Carina handed the data pad back the dock worker with a polite 'thank you' and turned to face them.

"H-Hey!" She called out with a wave, her face already red at the sight Amaury, who eye's drifted up to meet her and then to the metal deck below. "Can you believe this place?" Marcus asked as they came to a stop near the girl. "I know; I couldn't believe it when I saw it through the bridge windows. What about you?" She asked, directing the question towards Amaury, though he did not answer; his face bearing the strained and troubled thoughts that crushed down in his mind. Knowing the likely reason as to why this could be brought Carina's smile down as she bit her lip. Would loving this boy explain the pit she felt grow in her stomach whenever he was sad? "Aw don't worry about him Carina, he's just not feeling well." Marcus replied for the boy, chuckling a bit as he hit to boy lightly in the back, attempting to force him to straighten up. The attempt worked a bit, bringing his eyes up again to Carina who still stood in front of them. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention." He replied in an attempt to seem normal, but now with their eyes meeting she could tell this was not the truth. "Let's get going, shall we?" Marcus asked as Carina turned back to him and nodded. "Right." She replied, turning slowly from the boy and leading the way.

Heading into area that Bradley had instructed housed the weaponry, they looked around in amazement. Although small, this place was full of all kinds of weapons and mobile suits being constructed all around them. "Well, I guess we know where Kurin got those Ratniks and Dubisars. Though I don't see that one you took from him, Amaury." Marcus stated as he floated past a corridor where several mobile suits were docked. "That's because from what I've read the suit that Amaury will soon be piloting was a limited production assault suit designed by Zeon during the One Year War. The fact that Kurin had more than one was impressive." Carina replied as she looked to the boy from the corner of her eye, watching his attention drift off at all of the surrounding displayed weaponry and equipment. Was he this upset about Monty's scolding, or was it something else?

"So Amaury will be piloting a relic then? I guess he better not destroy it like he seems to like doing to Zakums." Marcus joked with a laugh, bringing Carina to shake her head. The three continued for some time, making note of which lots of supplies and pieces they would take with them until they came across something quite rare, causing the girl to stop and stare at it. "What is it?" Marcus asked after a few moments as Carina floated towards it, looking at the object before her, strapped down to the deck of the lot yard. "It's-" She began before being cut off by a salesman from the yard. "A Psycommu system, that's exactly right young lady." The peddler stated as he floated towards them and onto his feet next to the seat at the girls feet, cleaning some sort of part in his hands with a dirt rag. It was evident by the grease across his clothing and face that he had been working in the yard for the majority of the day, and she was surprised that had not seen him yet of the course of their visit here. Carina's eyes shifted from the man to the cockpit seat.

"Does it work, and is it complete?" She asked, knowing that such a thing, if functional and whole, could turn an ordinary mobile suit's clunky movement and slow response time into something more powerful and graceful. Such things were common in Gundams during the post-One Year War period, but other mobile suits had them as well. "You bet it does. I've only got one though, and typically these sell fast, so if you want it she's all yours." The salesman replied as the girl looked down to the pieces in front of her. She didn't quite understand how it worked, though she figured she could learn given enough time. This cockpit coupled with the Gundam frame would create the weapon Monty wanted it to be, and would be quite the asset to the revolution. Unsure what they were talking about but seeing and hearing Carina's excitement, Amaury spoke for the first time in almost an hour, walking next to her and looking down at the machine in front of them. "What does it do?" He asked as the salesman laughed.

"It reads your thoughts kid; makes the mobile suit respond to what yer thinkin!" He laughed as Carina turned to the boy next to her. "Newtypes like you emit brain waves that are readable with a machine like this. With this, you could command a mobile suit to move, fire, boost; any number of actions with your mind." She explained a bit better as the boy's eyebrows raised a bit. Read his thoughts? Was this true? "Exactly. But like I said, I've only got one. Are you interested?" He asked again as Carina looked back and nodded. "Yes, we will take it." She replied, writing down the lot number on her notepad before shaking the man's hand. "You won't be disappointed, I assure you that. And as an added bonus, I'll throw in something extra; Heaven's End's very own S.I.C.O.S. system!" He shouted with excitement; though Carina shook her head a bit, unsure what he was talking about.

"I don't know what that is, I'm sorry." She replied as the salesman laughed. "Well, let me tell you! Once we get the bugs refined, it will be the next big thing! Developed right here in our humble space rock, the Spinal Interaction and Connection Operating System, or S.I.C.O.S., connects you directly into a mobile suit! Just like a Psycommu system, but without the need to be a Newtype, and with a much higher impact on performance!" The salesman pitched in true salesman form, even though he was giving it away for free. Carina's skepticism increased exponentially as the man explained the acronym, knowing that he was trying to sell them a Cyber-Newtype implant system; something heavily frowned upon by both authorities and criminals alike. "It connects to the nervous system? There is no way that is safe." She protested as she crossed her arms, the salesman shaking his head.

"No, no, it is perfectly safe! The side effects are only moderately negative. There are several pilots here that use the system, and they have all come out of the mounting surgery just fine. Well, for the most part. Just try one; I'm sure one of your crew would be jumping at the bit to become a better pilot. And unlike the Psycommu systems, this could easily be dropped into an existing mobile suit, and requires significantly less maintenance!" Trying his best to convince the girl to try the system, likely to generate more sales, Carina continued to shake her head while Amaury and Marcus looked on.

"I don't know man, it seems unnecessarily dangerous. Tapping into someone's spine… it's not right." Marcus too protested, but to his side, Amaury remained silent. This allowed the user to directly link with their suit, like the Psycommu? They were right though, placing something into the spine was a very, very risky procedure that even someone like him understood. But if it was capable of what the man was saying, it could be beneficial in the long run; despite the apparent health risks. "I am not going to let one of my friends put this thing in their head. This is something out of a bad sci-fi horror movie." Carina continued to protest as the salesman sighed, knowing that this uphill battle was just cutting into his time. "Just take the sample. One day you may use it, and if you do and you like it, come see me again. I'll hook you up with more. Now if you excuse me, I have more work to attend." He stated in his final argument before walking back towards where he had originally came from leaving the three amongst themselves.

"Can you believe that shit?" Marcus asked as soon as the salesman was out of earshot as Carina shaking her head in protest with him. "That is just crazy. You could easily paralyze someone messing around with their spine like that. What is wrong with these pirates? There is no way that whatever performance boost this allows for is worth that risk." She replied, looking Amaury whose eyes remained down at the Psycommu unit, deep in thought. Was he thinking about it that much? No, more than likely it was still the events that had happened earlier that bothered him. Looking around for anyone beside the three of them, she turned to Marcus for a brief second.

"Marcus, could you possibly leave me and Amaury alone for a few minutes? I need to talk to him in… private." She explained as a grin formed over his lips. "Oh?" He asked, still unaware of the situation that had played out earlier between Monty and the two before him; Carina shaking her head to try and knock whatever childish comments from his mouth before they could be said. Seeing the nature of her gesture, Marcus abandoned the joke he had already planned to speak and nodded. "Alright, that is fine. I will see you back at the ship when you are, uh... done." He replied with a grin, turning to head back towards the _Warsaw_ while Carina thanked him with a nod, leaving just the two alone again.

Walking up behind the boy she placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up as his heart accelerated in his chest; regardless of whether or not it should. "Whatcha thinking about?" She asked as Amaury's eyes shifted to her for a moment or two, then back to the cockpit seat and pieces in front of him. "That thing he talked about. The implant… thing." He replied as the girl immediately shook her head. She knew him well by now, and she could tell what he was thinking just from the sound of his voice. "Amaury Dietrich you are _not_ putting that thing in your head. I won't allow it." She sternly scolded; punching the shoulder she had just held softly as a small smile slowly crept over his lips before disappearing again. "But my job is to fight for all of us. With that thing, wouldn't I be able to perform my task more efficiently? A more efficient weapon serves a greater purpose." He questioned, looking down at a piece of the unit closest to his feet, kicking it onto the tarp lightly. "It is my only purpose." He added quietly, bringing the girl's eyes back to him; angered by the words he had spoken. Why would he say something like that?

"Amaury… what do you mean? Why are you saying that?" She questioned, grabbing his arm to force him to turn towards her. She didn't like this emotional state he was in one bit, and it was breaking her heart to hear him say something so far from the truth. "That is not your only purpose; you are so much more than just a weapon." She replied, trying to shake the boy's mind from its state, knowing that all of this had to have been from Monty's inappropriate behavior earlier. "Are you saying this because of Monty?" She asked, trying to confirm the reason he felt this way, as he looked away from her eyes again and nodded, focusing down at her boots. "He's right though, Carina…" The boy whispered, closing his eyes in defeat as her face blushed red. What did he mean by that? Did Amaury really feel those feelings towards her; enough to try and win her over from her place at Monty's side?

"R-Right about what? About n-needing to spend t-time away from one another, o-or…" Carina asked in an attempt to probe his feelings, her heart pounding against her rib cage as Amaury's eyes looked up to hers with obvious internal turmoil. Could he admit to such an inappropriate thing; regardless of if it was initially intentional or not? Trying to steal her away? Whether he wanted or to or not, the boy could not lie to Carina, and slowly he opened his mouth to speak. "Both." He whispered, his face as red as hers as her breath quivered. So he did feel the same way and wanted to be with her as well? Swallowing nervously her eyes followed his, despite the fact that he stared down at the ground. How could he be so stupid as to admit to it? Even if he didn't want to lie, there was no way this would help the situation; their friendship was over, it had to be!

"A-Amaury, I-" She attempted to reply to his confession as he stepped back and grabbed one side of his head with his hand, his fingers intertwining with his hair; the girl watching with wide eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry." He stated over, his eyes looking to hers for a split second again, then back to the ground. "I didn't mean for a-any of this to happen, I d-didn't mean to try and t-take you from Monty." He continued to quickly ramble, his heart racing faster than ever as taking a deep breath became harder and harder. What was wrong with him? Why was this happening right now? This was by far the worst time to have some sort of breakdown! "I-I-I'm s-sorry-" He attempted to start again, turning to walking away before the girl reached out and grabbed his hand, holding him from leaving; just as she had done on Dresden before they departed the Movement's hiding place.

Immediately flashing back to that moment, Amaury's head lifted; his racing thoughts ceasing as he calmed down within a moment or two. How could this be? Not more than a second ago he could feel his reality splitting into two, and now it had stopped. Slowly turning towards the girl until their eyes met once more, he was stunned to see that she was not angry, but sad. Sad to see the boy she cared so much about worked up to the point that his usually calm demeanor failed. "C-Carina…" Amaury stuttered as the girl gently smiled, further easing his mind while doing little to slow his racing heart and burning face.

"Stop." She said softly, pulling the boy towards her a bit before wrapping her arms around him in a hug, pressing her head into his chest. "Just stop." She added as Amaury remained confused and surprised. Stop? She wasn't mad about what had been said and done? He didn't understand, but at the same time it didn't matter. Slowly his arms wrapped around her as they had before, embracing the girl against him; one hand on placed on the small of her back, the other to the back of her head as they both closed their eyes as a sense of serenity washed over the both of them. "Everything is okay. It is all going to be okay." She reassured him, holding onto the boy for a few minutes longer before she gently let go; knowing that it still wasn't the right time. Knowing now how he felt, and standing here in his arms, her mind was made up; Elise's advice echoing through her mind. The woman's words did not make this decision for her, but they had definitely pushed her over the teetering edge.

"I am going to fix this… is that what you want?" She asked, her eyes meeting his once again as the boy nodded after only a few brief seconds. "Y-Yes." He replied in few words as usual, bringing a smile back to her face. He was unsure exactly what she meant, but if it meant that they didn't have to be apart, he couldn't refuse. "Me too." She replied softly, hugging into his chest once more before letting go and stepping back from him once more. It was getting late and there was still much that needed to be done.

"We should head back." She stated as Amaury reluctantly nodded with a smile, despite both of their secret desires to remain in that spot for eternity; locked into one another's arms. Motioning for Carina to lead the way the girl giggled and nodded, leading the way back to the fleet. If she was going to follow her heart, she would still need to speak with Monty; the thought of which made her cringe. Knowing how he could be, and how he had been the past few weeks, she knew it would be a rather rough conversation. But looking back at the sweet, loving boy who followed her through the corridors of the docks, she knew it needed to be done, and that it would be alright. For the first time since she met the boy it seemed as if things made complete sense. This was how she was meant to feel; all because of him.


	15. Chapter 15: All Is Fair

Without knowing exactly what Carina planned to do, Amaury spent the next several days on edge, going about his daily assignments with uncertainty. She had promised to make it right, and he believed that she would, but that didn't stop him from worrying about just how she would do so. He couldn't see a way out of the situation Monty had placed them in with his decree that the two of them should remain apart, knowing that if it continued he would just discipline the both of them until his demands were met; something he didn't want Carina to endure. While he waited for things to get better, he made sure that any encounter he had with her was kept out of view of both Monty and anyone that could report it back to him, including Geoff. It wasn't that the boy didn't trust his squad leader, but being that Geoff and Monty had known one another for quite some time, he determined that it would be best for now if the continued friendship remained a secret.

The inability to openly be around the boy tugged heavily on Carina as well. Having moved the Gundam frame to a Heaven's End shoring facility to enlist the help of their own engineering team, she found herself longing for his companionship, and with each time she turned for a tool and it wasn't the boy handing it to her, she felt her heart sink a bit more; a fact that took away tremendously from the completion of so many projects. Their Zakums had been repaired and an additional was produced with parts and an additional MS-11 purchased from Heaven's End. The Zakums design had also received an upgrade following feedback from the pilots who had tested them against Kurin's forces, fine tuning their propulsion systems and replacing their older shoulder armor with custom designed, thicker armor plates; each of which contained a single guided missile to add to their standard armament.

They also had managed to purchase a single MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II, as well as three somewhat complete Zaku II F2s from the scrap yard, which under direction from Assistant Chief Engineer Reo were to be completed and shipped back to the colonies, along with two non-functional RTX-65 colony control tanks. Both ships as well as all of their mobile suits would be receiving a standardized gray paint job to symbolize the Zeon Reformation Movement's with the proposed new flag emblazoned on the side; a modified version of Zeon Deikun's original Republic of Zeon flag, but with the colony image replaced with three isotoxal triangles placed in the black instead of the three stars in the red.

Despite the completion of so many tasks, her most important success had been finally starting the Gundam frame's Minovsky Reactor. With the machine finally powered on, thanks to the help of the Heaven's End engineering core as well as the arrival of nearly eighty new Movement members aboard the _Tortuga,_ she was able to fully evaluate it's base specifications and design a suit around the frame. The reactor may have been difficult to start, but it was well worth it, producing nearly sixty percent more power than their second highest unit. With that much power the Gundam could certainly run for extended periods of time without needing to be resupplied and could even power energy weapons off of its own reactor. Having stayed up all night on the night of its activation, Carina formulated what she believed to be a well-balanced and effective mobile suit platform for the frame, compiled a list of necessary parts and had sent out messengers to locate and purchase the points. As per Monty, Admiral Krupp had authorized them near unlimited access to the fledgling Zeon nation's funds, which flourished from the unknown benefactors following the successful completion of Operation Duality.

Expected to report to Monty at the end of each day, Carina did was instructed; each day being careful to hide what was really on her mind, despite a rather abrasive attitude from Monty, who seemed to poke and pry into her activities in a passive-aggressive nature, trying to find out is she was still seeing the boy. Knowing her conversation with him would likely be upsetting, she waited until she compiled a definitive blueprint for the Gundam and had ordered all necessary parts before coming forth with her news, in an effort to pad the conversation. Once she believed that she possessed enough padding, she set out for her daily meeting with the man in the bridge of the _Bastille_ , Gundam schematics in hand; heart racing and throat dry, hoping he would not explode or break down at her news.

"May I come in?" She asked, opening the door to the bridge as Monty spun his captain's chair around to look at her, a smile growing across his face at the sight of the rolled papers in her hand. "Why of course lovey!" He called out with his trademark chuckle, standing from his chair to approach a table to the side of his chair. He has been like this for several days, trying every chance he got to attempt flattery, as if now was the point at which he needed to try and further their relationship. Motioning for the rest of the crew to leave the bridge he waited for the last to leave before closing the main entrance door and turning to Carina. "How was your work today? It sure was boring up here. I sure wished I could have come to help, but you know I'm not good with that kind of stuff." Monty attempted to excuse his absence from the Gundam project, though the girl knew better. If he really wanted to help, he would have been down there every second; much like how Amaury had been before being forced away. "Very productive, actually. I've come up with something I think you will like." She replied with a smile, doing her best to make it seem as genuine as possible.

"This design will offer you the best of all worlds, in my opinion. We've only got one frame, so we can't risk going for a specific role to fill and having the machine destroyed in the process." The girl added as she rolled the blueprints out onto the table in front of him, displaying the design she had worked on over the last two days. "The reactor will be capable of recharging E-Cap cells on demand, allowing it to use energy weapons of various designs, should we locate any. It will also be able to recharge beam sabers stored inside the leg compartments; standard features from old Federation mobile suits. The thrusters will allow excellent movement and speed, on par with the Kampfer, as well as additional weapons such as shoulder-fire misses to be attached to the back, while an additional independent sensor unit in the chest will allow for increased tracking and weapons accuracy with the Psycommu system we acquired. It may not be a true Gundam, but it will be able to compete with those old legends we use to hear." Listening intently as she described the monster she had designed for him, Monty's eyes widened with excitement. He did not overly care for the cosmetics, but hearing what the machine would be capable upon his completion forced a smile to his face. "Excellent." He replied as he crossed his arms and turned to Carina, patting her on the shoulder; a gesture she didn't particularly care for. To simply pat her shoulder after all of the work, especially with what she supposedly meant to him, was a clear example of the oddity of their relationship. "Excellent work. What have you decided to call it?" He asked, turning his head back to the plans as he spotted the name, reading it in tandem as she spoke. "I call it the ZRG-01 Ares, named after the ancient Greek god of war."

"Ares?" Monty asked in a questioning tone which led Carina to believe that he didn't like the name. "Yes. I mean, if you don't like it, you can change the name. That is your decision." She replied, unwilling to argue over something so petty with something serious looking overhead. Hearing the slightest tinge of annoyance in her voice, he smirked, deciding to keep the name the same for the time being. "No, no. Ares is fine. You are the creator after all." He replied as he walked back to his chair and sat down, looking over the girl at his side while maintaining his smirk. "See what you are capable of when you place your work above some frivolous friendship? You are a genius just like your mother and father Carina, and once this is all over I will make sure they learn all about your contribution to the Movement." Hearing Monty speak about her parents was almost enough to distract her from his review of her friendship with Amaury as frivolous. Even though he surely believed he had won.

"But for now, you should get some sleep. You've certainly deserved it." Monty added, Carina's eyes still locked into those of her significantly distant other; still determined to go through with what her heart desired, she shook her head. "Actually Monty, there is something we need to talk about." She admitted quietly as her eyes looked down at his hands on the sides of his chair, which now began folding together on his lap. "Oh? What could that be?" He asked, his eyes remaining focused on her as he thought about what her issue could possibly be; maybe an apology for her actions? "I-I… er… I think it's time t-that we just… became friends." She whispered, her own words barely able to be heard over the pounding heart in her chest.

Monty remained silent for a moment after she spoke, his smirk fading to a blank stare. "What?" He asked, a bit taken back by her request. He could have sworn that he had broken her feelings for the boy with guilt; a fact supported by the lack of the boy's jacket these last few days. Knowing how Carina seemed to take things to heart, he had assumed calling her out on her violation of his trust would have been enough to reel her back into his influence, though it was apparent now that he was wrong. Swallowing nervously, her eyes lifted back to the expressionless man staring at her while her hands subconsciously gripped at the sides of her uniform.

"I'm sorry Monty, I just… well… the last few weeks you've been so distant, a-and I mean… I don't know, you j-just have never shown… interest in progressing our relationship." She replied, her eyes finding it hard to focus with just how intensely he stared. "I just… I've been feeling this way for some time, and… someone suggested I do what I thought was b-best." She added, speaking what she knew was the truth but unwilling to divulge just who exactly gave her the courage to do so, though it didn't take long for Monty to make his own assumption. "It was that boy, wasn't it? You are still seeing him." He stated in a cold reply, his voice demanding an answer without even asking a question. Immediately sensing his increasing anger towards Amaury, she shook her head, but it didn't matter to him. He knew that this was the case. "N-No, it wasn't him, I-" She attempted to draw his attention away from the boy before he cut her sentence short. "I thought that we were over this; that you had realized that these inappropriate feelings of yours were wrong, and that you were supposed to be faithful to me." Monty boomed, standing from his chair as the girl stepped back. Hearing him mention that these feelings were inappropriate, she scowled a bit. Who was he to say that they were inappropriate? If they were how she truly felt, who was he to shoot her down?

"Oh yeah? Why are they so inappropriate Monty?" She questioned in anger, not yet having resorted to yelling though she felt as if she could scream. Monty scoffed, crossing his arms as he took another step towards the girl in an attempt to intimidate her. "Well, for one, because you are my woman Carina." He began, taking yet another step despite her apparent lack of backing down. "And for the other, look at you. You are descended from the great Kauwin family; a family who helped form Zeon and make it strong, both before and during the One Year War. You are practically royalty, and he is just some… alley rat. A thug who robbed the innocent and smuggled drugs and weapons; for all you know he killed people in those streets. And you are going to tell me you have feelings for him?" He angrily scolded, a scowl forming over his face; not from anger at her attempt to leave, but at watching his control over the girl challenged.

Carina growled under her breath as she became generally upset by his comments, as well as a bit confused by his knowledge of the boy. Was he diving into his past, reading his files to pull up dirt on him? There was no way Amaury would have told Monty any of this. "You don't know him like I do, Monty. He's never killed anyone before all of this. He told me, and I believe him. I could see it in his eyes." She argued, looking back to his confession on the _Tortuga_ , recalling just how upset he was even speaking about it; his voiced pained with regret.

"He is my friend, and if… i-if that evolves into something more, then I would be happy. He is sweet and kind, compassionate… he makes me feel safe and needed, more than you ever have. We've been together for how long now, Monty? Five months? A little longer? You've never even done so much as kiss me, or even express any desire to do so. Nor have you ever spoken about what you want from our relationship, our long distance goals? Why even be together? I swear, sometimes I feel like you have just been using me for some… sick twisted game." Carina replied, thinking back as she remembered his expressed interest in her seeming to form right around the time she joined The Movement. Did he date her as some way to anchor her down? To ensure that she wouldn't leave?

His progression towards her stopping, Monty's eyes grew wide with her last comments. Did she know? Did she figure out somehow that their relationship was a ploy? How was it possible and how could he recover the situation? "How dare you say that… I love you Carina." He began, doing the only thing he could think of to hang on and buy him time to do something more definitive. "Just because we've never kissed or anything further doesn't change how I feel. I have always treated you with respect and dignity. Don't you understand that?" He questioned, though despite his declaration of love for the girl, she shook her head, tears forming in her eyes from the stress of the whole situation. He was using her. She knew that now, and the pain in her heart already so heavy from her separation from Amaury doubled by the second. He couldn't have seemed any less heartless than his cold declaration of love.

"No." She replied, sniffling a bit as she fought to remain as calm as possible. "No, you don't love me. You never loved me, and I doubt that you ever even cared. He may have come from the streets, but he… I know he cares for me. I'm sorry Monty, but I can't do this anymore. I just can't." She sniffled as she wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "I have also formally requested a transfer due to conflict of interest to Geoff's command aboard the _Warsaw_ , accepted as of this afternoon. I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry." She said, walking towards the exit to the bridge before Monty slammed his fists down on the table containing the plans for the Ares. Knowing that his last resort attempt had failed, he ground his teeth together in anger. Without direct control over her, he could not guarantee the completion of the Gundam in a timely manner, and that would not be acceptable. "Do you really think that this boy cares about you? He is nothing more than a somewhat talented piece of garbage and he could never be more than that. Born to live, fight and die, just like his father before him! A living weapon, nothing more. Don't you get that?!" He yelled in anger as he turned to the girl, who now stopped in her tracks facing the bridge door. Monty had crossed a line, and she could no longer contain her anger.

"Don't say that." She replied after a moment of silence, her voice barely audible even in the quiet room. Unseen to the commander, tears now streamed openly down her face; overwhelmed by everything that happened before her. How could she have been so stupid? She was his pawn, played to benefit his motives and the Movement. He didn't need to do it, she would have willingly helped her friends, and she would continue to do so. She couldn't go back now if she tried. But no, he felt it necessary to trick her. And now that she had found someone who really cared about her, he dare speak down on him? Call him garbage, saying he was nothing more than a weapon? How dare he! "Don't you _ever_ say those fucking things about him again. He is more human than you will ever be… and so much more than just a weapon." She sniffled, fighting back a sob and tightening her fists together in anger. She could say no more to this man; this horrible person. Slowly she walked from the bridge to gather her things, destined for the _Warsaw_ , while Monty's eyes remained locked on the spot where she had just stood. He had failed, and that infuriated him to no end.

"Mother fucker!" He screamed in anger, punching his fist into the metal table next to the design plans for the Ares. How could this have happened? How did she break free so easily? He spent weeks designing this plan and for months it was executed flawlessly. How could such an unimportant boy captivate her? After a moment, the designs caught his eye again, bringing a smirk to his face. Despite the fact that it was incomplete, she had technically already designed the Gundam, needing only now to assemble it; something that could easily be done by someone else, with only minimal changes to her design. For now that would have to do.

On the night of the fifth day the crews were released from duty and instructed to head out into Heaven's End for a night off; permitted to receive some rest and relaxation before they set out again for Side 3, knowing that once they reached their home it was unclear when the next time they would have time to relax would be. Much against his will, Amaury was nearly dragged from his cabin by his friends, who insisted he needed to get out of the ship and enjoy some of what Heaven's End had to offer. By now both Marcus and Sam were made aware of the situation with Carina, and although Tome was not with the boys he assumed she had known too, given the way her and Sam's relationship seemed to rapidly flourish. The last day and a half had gone without any contact with Carina, bringing the boy to become sick to his stomach with worry, and he truly did not wish to be out on the town gallivanting.

"Come on guys, I really don't want to be out here." He protested as he exited through the air locks that separated the docks from the general population of Heaven's End. Unlike most of the crew, he had not been staying in a hotel and remained in their bunk room on the _Warsaw_ alone. "You just shut up; you've barely eaten, you've barely slept. You need to get out and at least enjoy a little time away from your worries." Marcus instructed, almost pushing the boy along the corridor. "He's right Amaury. You haven't even seen the inside of this place; it's not what you expect." Sam now pestered as well, causing Amaury to sigh. He didn't particularly _care_ what Heaven's End looked like, but seeing as how they were not going to let up, he had no choice but to tag along. "This place better be worth the trouble." Amaury replied with a heavy sigh as they approached the emergency airlock. The three stopped and waited as the safety doors opened, revealing the massive city inside. Amaury's eyes widened a bit, impressed by all he saw before him. The city had indeed been carved from the inside of the massive asteroid, leaving pillars at strategic spots to help support the massive rock ceiling, which were covered in lights; illuminating the large pillars in all sorts of vibrant colors as it was nearing simulated dusk in the city. He would have imagined that this place would be much less organized and clean, given that it was a world of criminals and pirates.

Though he supposed that if there was anyone who would know how to live a luxurious life, it would be the pirate lords who formed this place. Looking over to Amaury's surprised gaze, Marcus laughed to himself. "Did I tell ya, or did I tell ya?" He asked jokingly as they progressed past the entrance to the docks and onto a sidewalk, several cars driving by as they did so. "Yeah, you did say it was impressive." Amaury agreed, keeping pace with his friends as he looked around at those walking the streets, obviously preparing for the nightlife scene. "Do you know where we are going? Or do we plan to just aimlessly walk until we find somewhere to eat." The boy asked back to their group leader sarcastically, who turned and punched him in the arm lightly. "Don't ask questions, you didn't even want to come! Just sit back and enjoy the ride; me and Sam have got this." Marcus boomed with a laugh, turning to Sam who looked down at a map of the city in his hands.

"Sam, where to first?" He asked as Sam grinned. "I know just the place."

Following his defeat, Monty too set out to relieve some of his frustration. Convincing Geoff to join him though the man did not typically drink, the two set out for a bar that Monty had been to earlier in the week; prizing it's cheap price, decent food and rather scantily clad waitressing staff. "I'm telling you Geoff, places back in the colonies don't even compare to this place." Monty describes as the two of them walk the streets towards the bar causing Geoff to grin and shake his head. "You seem rather excited to be heading back here. Are you sure you were only there once?" He asked, Monty turning to him with a grin. "A gentleman never tells." He replied with a laugh, pushing Geoff as they neared the entrance. Although Monty had not come right out and said anything about it, he knew that his friend and Carina had separated ways. She had come to him earlier that morning and requested a transfer to the crew of the _Warsaw_ , and when questioned why, she had no choice but to explain.

He too knew it had something to do with Amaury as it was no secret that the two of them had been spending every waking moment possible with one another until Monty's intervention, and he could have seen this coming from a mile away. What he couldn't understand however was why Monty didn't seem the least bit upset about it. In fact, he seemed almost happy. Entering inside of the bar they made their way to a pair of open bar stools, sat down and ordered a preliminary round of beers. All around the two men the bar was packed with people of varying ages, and as Monty had described, barely dressed staff. "I can see why you like this place." He joked, taking a drink of his beer as Monty did the same, though he had already reached nearly half way through his. "I know right? Just an amazing place." He replied, watching a waitress walk by them as he reached out and slapped her playfully on the rear; the waitress at first unamused, though she decided to let it go at the sight of his cunning and attractive grin while Geoff watched from the corner of his eye.

"Fast to get back on the saddle, eh?" He asked, unsure how to take his behavior. He had made several off color comments about his now ex in the days leading up to their severance, but he had assumed they were either a joke or intended to be. Turning back towards him Monty smirked. "Yeah well, what am I gonna do? If she wants to be with some useless boy, let her. I've gotten what I need from her." The man remarked, leading Geoff to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. He knew that their relationship had not been very involved, so the likelihood of him referring to a physical or even emotional connect seemed rather poor. "That seems a little harsh, don't you think? I mean, she obviously did care about you at one point in time." Geoff replied, taking another swig of his beer as Monty stared at him from the corner of his eye. Harsh? Despite the fact that he personally did not care of the girl in the manner he had portrayed, he couldn't believe that Geoff would side with her.

"Yeah, maybe you are right." He lied to relieve the heat from his shoulders, thinking that maybe he had portrayed too much of his apathy towards the subject. "It's just been a long time coming, and I guess secretly I've been over it for some time. " He added to his ruse, eyeing up the same waitress who he had just slapped walking by, throwing her the same interest looked he had before; this time seeming to be acknowledged. "And I'm not gonna lie, a little bit of somethin' might go a long way. Especially if it's the last bit of somethin' any of us gets before our return to Side 3." Monty added as Geoff nodded in acknowledgment. "I know what you are saying. The next phase in the plan will be the most challenging and complex. I just hope that Krupp and Ishim have laid out all of the ground work correctly." His friend replied as Monty smirked, looking over his shoulder past another waitress towards a group of men sitting in a large booth, one of which had been staring their way since they first sat down.

"Hey, don't turn around, but it appears we have attracted ourselves some attention." Monty calmly stated, looking forward at the bartender as he finished his first beer and ordered a second. Heeding Monty's warning, Geoff looked up at a slightly off canter mirror above the bar, spotting the man that he spoke of; likely in his mid-thirties with hair past his ears, but not below his shoulders. "I see him. Pirate?" Geoff asked, a kind of rhetorical question seeing as they were literally on an asteroid city filled to the brim with criminals and pirates of various kinds. "Yes, but, I don't think he is here to rob us of our booty." Monty jested, playing on the old pirates of lore as Geoff simply shook his head.

"Well, you are gonna see if he wants your 'booty' here in a moment, as he is walking towards us." Geoff replied, watching the man stand and begin making his way across the bar towards them. Narrowing his eye as it watched from the corner, Monty set his beer down and pulled his sidearm from it's holster on his hip, setting it discreetly on his lap under the bar; just in case. "Be ready to act should the need arise." He warned Geoff, who had already done something similar to his partner. With their mission as clandestine as it were, there could be a multiple of threats sent against them should someone find out their intentions; regardless of the fact that they had told nobody their true intentions while on Heaven's End, and had instructed the crew to do the same. "Ready." Geoff replied, seeing the man grow closer and closer until he finally stood behind the two of them.

"Gentlemen, good evening." He greeted them as they looked over their shoulders to the man, taking note of the flight suit and vest he wore; his sleeves rolled up and a gun at his hip. "Mind if I join you?" He asked as the two stared at him, then at one another, and then back to the stranger. "Do we know you? Not to be rude but, well, you know." Monty replied, curbing his sarcastic attitude as much as possible as to not provoke an altercation as the man smirked. "No. No, you do not." He replied, taking a drink of the beer in his hand before looking down at the glass. "But you may want to." He added, peaking Monty's curiosity a bit, turning to Geoff signal him to ask the next question. "Why might that be?" Geoff asked as the man chuckled a bit, looking up from his beer. "Well, rumor down at the docks has it that you guys and your crews are going after the Federation. That true?" The man asked as both Movement captains gripped their sidearms in their laps, which despite being out of view to the man behind them, prompted him to raise his hands.

"Whoa now, whoa. I'm not looking for trouble. I'm just here to discuss a business opportunity with y'all. As you can imagine, nobody here is particularly fond of the Federation or their horseshit, and none of them less so than me." He quickly replied, knowing enough that the men would be skeptical of his approach once he mentioned his knowledge, and having been involved in enough deals to know they often resort to violence when one or more parties involved sensed impending danger. Looking back to one another as if telepathically communicating, Monty nodded and turned back to the man, motioning his head for the man to sit between them as Geoff moved over a seat. "Sit." Geoff instructed as the man smirked and did as he was instructed, looking at each before turning to the bartender.

"Two more for me and one for each of my new friends here! On me!" He exclaimed with a cheerful laugh, causing the two Captains to look at one another. Who was this guy? He was obviously as informed as he was drunk, though how he had figured out exactly what they were planning was beyond either of them. His long laugh eventually coming to an end, he wrapped both arms around the two men's necks as if they had been best friends for years and looked at one after the other in turn. "What if I told you I've got a ship, mobile suits, fighters, and above all, a whole bunch of people itching to get a crack at the Federation for just a measly fee?" He asked, as Monty and Geoff looked to one another. "Mercenaries?" Geoff asked, unhappy with the thought, though he couldn't deny that some more soldiers for the Movements upcoming battle couldn't hurt. In fact, with as many variables as they were expecting to occur during the upcoming battle, it would almost be silly to turn the man down without hearing him out. At Geoff's question, the man snickered and took a drink of the fresh beer laid out before them not more than a few seconds before. "Something like that." He replied with a toothy grin, sitting back down on his stool.

Across town the trio of friends found themselves in a bit of a tamer environment; a more conservative oriented bar on the second floor of a restaurant that overlooked a park constructed in a borough square. Having learned from the bar on Dresden, Sam opted to focus more on somewhere they could sit, eat and drink a little, the opposite of Marcus's nightclub preference. "Well Sam, you really picked a winner here." Marcus joked, watching as their drinks were delivered to their booth, strategically placed near the window so that they could look out at the nightlife of the Heaven's End. "In my defense, the last time we went to a club someone broke my nose and threw Amaury through a window." Sam replied as Amaury stared out the window. "I almost got run over." Amaury interjected calmly, propping his head up with his hand as Sam waved a hand towards him at his reply. "Yeah, he almost got run over!" He yelled as Marcus huffed, folding his arms after taking a drink.

"Oh the two of you knock it off. It was nowhere near as bad as you are making it out to be." Marcus protested before turning to Amaury's gloomy appearance; his eyes following some kind of aerial vehicle as it flew over the city. Even out amongst the population he still seemed to be in a trance. "C'mon Amaury, everything is alright. She promised you it was fine, didn't she?" He asked as the boy's eyes shifted towards him, then back to the table with a sigh. "Yeah, I know. I just… I'm worried. I don't know what her plan is, and when I didn't see her yesterday, I… I'm just worried." He replied, sheepishly opening the menu in front of him as his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since the previous day around lunch time, and despite the pit in his stomach, he was starving. "Ah man, she'll be fine. If anyone can handle their own, it's Carina. Besides, Tome said that they were all going out tonight, just like us. So don't worry." Sam stated in an effort to calm his nervous friend, who still held certain reservation. He too recalled Carina mentioning going out on the town with the girls the last time they had spoken.

"In Fact, there they are now!" Sam called out, as he looked out the window, spotting Tome and several of the other girls from the crew. Knocking on the glass he and Marcus waved while Amaury scanned the group for Carina as the girls waved back up at them. "Carina isn't with them…" He spoke softly upon discovering her absence. Where was she then? Looking to Marcus who sat next to him on the outside of the booth, he motioned his head to let him out. "Let me out for one second, I just want to ask Tome if she's heard anything." He instructed as Marcus shook his head. "Buddy, she's fine! You gotta relax." He countered as Amaury huffed. She may have been fine, but he knew that unless he heard those words from either Carina or Tome. "I know but… just let me go talk to her." He requested again as Marcus stared at him before sighing and sliding out of the booth. "Fine." He replied, standing up and allowing Amaury to exit. "But if you don't come back, I am going to kick your ass later." He teased as Amaury smirked, flipped him the bird and quickly progressed down the stairs and out into the street, having to chase after the girls a bit as they had continued walking without realizing that Amaury was coming to speak with them.

"Hey, Tome! Wait!" Amaury called out, trying to make his voice heard over the crowds of people who walked the streets as he came to a stop behind the girl. "Oh hey Amaury. Let me guess, looking for Carina?" She asked with a teasing pout as Amaury nodded, catching his breath from the slight job, a small grin crossing his face at the girls tease. "Yeah, how'd you know?" He asked as the girl shook her head, the others laughing as she crossed her arms. "How could I _not_ have known Amaury? You are so stuck on her." She replied, pushing his shoulder to knock him back a bit to show that her words were not intended to he derogatory. "She was with us for a bit, but she said she wanted to be alone. We parted ways down the street a bit after leaving the restaurant we were at, a place called 'The Spot'. It's about six blocks down, towards the big pillar in the middle of the city. Can't miss it, and that's your best place to start looking." She instructed as Amaury turned to walk towards it with a nod, before stopping himself. Maybe Marcus was right, maybe he should just leave her alone. He didn't want to force her to spend time with him if she couldn't or didn't want to. Unsure what to do and already knowing the opinion of his other friends, he turned to the girl to his side.

"Tome, uh… do you think I should go check on her?" He asked as the girl thought for a second and nodded. "Yeah, I would. She didn't seem herself, something is definitely bothering her. I'm not sure if something happened with Monty or not." She replied and before she could finish he had already started off in her direction. "Thanks!" He called out as he ran down the street, flipping off his two friends playfully that looked out of the window with their arms up in disgust. He didn't want to abandon them, but if she was upset, something in his heart was telling him he needed to be there.

Rushing to the location Tome told him about, he looked all around the streets for any sign of the girl. Where could she have gone? Hundreds of people walked these streets at this time of night, the darkness now setting in, illuminating the entire city in a neon glow; including the giant pillar in the middle of the city, covered in lights and signs that made it a true sight to behold. Grunting is annoyance at just how hard it would be to find her, he started back towards the docks, assuming that if she was not feeling well that she would head towards their ships; a pure guess he hoped would pay off. As he walked he continued to look around at everyone he passed, making sure to view each similar person long enough to spot if it was her or not before moving on, but time after time it proved to not be her.

Stopping as he came to an intersection of streets his hand shot up to this head as his ears began to ring loudly, almost drowning out the sounds of the traffic all around. Now what? What could possibly be causing this to happen right now? Following the direction the ringing seemed to pull him in, the boy looked up at the rooftops above and spotted something; Carina. She had been sitting on a rooftop, her legs hanging over the edge between two railing posts as her head rested atop her folded arms on the railing itself. The ringing led him to her? Why? What exactly was this and why did it keep happening? Regardless of why, it was clearly a blessing, and he quickly ran to the building she was atop of, looking for a way up to his friend. Spotting a ladder in the rear that led it's away up to the roof, he wasted no time in climbing it to the top, coming to a stop as he spotted the girl in front of him. She seemed deep in thought, staring out at the massive center pillar of the city; it's colored lights illuminating buildings for several blocks around the gigantic base.

"Carina?" He asked to make sure it was her, the roof rather dark despite the city light all around them; his guess correct as she turned back to him instantly. "Amaury? H-Hey…" She replied, sniffling as she wiped the tears from her eyes with the ends of his sleeves. How did he find her up here? The boy focused on her face as she turned, the light from the street below shimmering on the trail of tears that ran down her cheeks; evident that she had been crying. "What happened? Why… why are you crying?" He asked as he took a few steps towards her, noticing now that she wore his jacket again. What did that mean? Did Monty allow it, or was she doing it without his knowledge? "I'm okay. Just… I… me and Monty are done." She answered as she looked back at the pillar, not wanting the boy to see her cry, especially over Monty. Coming closer, he wasn't sure if he heard her correctly or not. They were done? Meaning no longer together? Was this all because of him? His stomach twisted at the thought that his actions could have done this; especially making her cry.

"Did he break up with you because of me? C-Carina, I'm sorry…" he immediately apologized, believing it to be his fault as she shook her head. "N-No, don't apologize, it's not your fault. I left him. I'm not crying because of that. I just… I don't know. I'm just a mess, and I'm sorry you have to see me like this." She admitted with a nervous laugh, again clearing tears from her eyes as he approached the railing next to her, waiting for her to motion for him to sit down before doing so. Sliding his feet in between the railing spokes as she had done, he sat down, his vision immediately seeking hers as she smiled despite the tears in her eyes. "Isn't it my job to be here for you when you cry?" He asked quietly as she nodded with a smile, the boy reaching up and wiping a running tear from her cheek with his hand; instantly causing the girl to blush wildly. "Y-Yeah, it is." She replied, taking his hand in hers and pulling it down to her lap, resting it on the ripped jeans she wore beneath his oversized jacket. The boy now blushing as well, he smiled as he looked down at her hand, though still a bit confused.

"Why did you break up with him?" Amaury asked, bringing a bit of surprise to the girl. Why? Did he really not understand what this meant? She often found his innocence cute, and this was no exception, bringing a wider smile to her lips. She can tell that he really didn't know what she meant the other day, causing her to feel bad for making him wait so long for it to be explained. "So… s-so we can be t-together…" She replied with nervous smile while looking into his eyes, then down at their hands in fear that maybe it wasn't what he wanted after all. No, it had to have been; it just had to have meant this. " I-If t-that is what you want I mean…" she questioned, nervously biting the inside of her lip. If he said no now, it would be devastating. She had prepared herself for this exact moment over the last few days, but she didn't expect the possibility that he would so no, having been so worked up by Elise's notion.

Amaury's eyes widened as she spoke. That was why? Is this what she meant by making everything alright? How could he not have known that? His face darkened; much darker than it ever had before in his entire life. She wanted to be with him? In a relationship? How could this be? He was just… Amaury. There wasn't anything special about him, was there? "I-I…" He stuttered as his heart raced in his chest, causing his brain to flush out all thought in the process; his eyes fixated on the teary eyed girl in front of him. Why couldn't he talk? All he could do was replay her words over and over again. That was what he wanted, right? That's what this burning feeling in his chest and stomach told him to do. Say something Amaury, say something!

"I-I do… I just…" He whispered in a quiet tone, his eyes too diving down to focus on their hands. "I-I… I don't understand these feelings… they are different to me…" he began his reply, swallowing nervously as he tried so very, very hard not to fuck everything up. Hearing the struggle in his voice the girl looked back up and watched as he held his chest with his free hand. "I've… dated before, when I was younger… I know what p-physical attraction feels like… but this… it's much more… I… when I-I think about you Carina, I… my heart races, my hands shake… w-when we were taking the _Warsaw_ and _Bastille_ , when those mobile suits attacked the _Tortuga_ …" He stopped, the moments flashing before his eyes as he closed them, bringing with the same pain and anger he felt in those moments, knowing that someone was threatening her life. "K-knowing you were in danger, my heart sank. I… I fought to keep our friends alive, but mostly it was you. I was so… afraid you would..." The boy admitted, taking a moment to catch his breath, unable to even say the word. "I… what… what does this mean?" He asked, his eyes unable to look up at the girl from feeling so foolish. "I'm sorry."

Holding her breath the entire time she waited for the boys reply, she listened intently to each nervous stutter and honest confession he delicately whispered. If these feelings he was experiencing were the same as hers, she knew exactly what he meant. It was much more than just a crush; their hearts longed for one another in some kind of deeper desire, well past physical attraction. She was able to breathe again in relief knowing that she had made the right decision. Hearing how she affected him brought a small smile to her face. Not that she liked the fact that the thought of her caused him to be dysfunctional, more so that he seemed to experience the same ailments as she did when thinking of the boy. At his mention of how he feared for her life however, tears formed in her eyes once more, watching as he struggled to even say the last few words. He cared that much for her? Was it possible that the feelings he felt could also be as far as love as well? Swallowing as his nervous speech came to a close, she knew it was her turn to say something. Not entirely sure what she was going to say, she intertwined their fingers together so that they truly now held hands and looked up towards the pillar the boys eyes now focused on.

"Stop apologizing." She whispered as she sniffed back another tear; her thumb gently rubbing the boys hand out of nervous tension. "I… I feel the same thing. And I am confused too. But… I too feel this is much more than anything before." She admitted, smiling a bit as he turned to her, both of their eyes lit up by the neon lights below. "When you go out to fight, I w-worry about you as well. When you fought to save the _Tortuga,_ I thought for sure that pilot had killed you… a-and this last time, with Kurin's crew… I was so afraid. Monty stormed in and said y-you were in trouble, and m-my heart sank." Her feelings mirrored his almost perfectly; this had to be a sign, and there was no way that this connection could be ignored.

"I don't think we are meant to understand these feelings, Amaury. I think we are just meant to follow them." She spoke softly, her smile remaining as he too smiled a bit, his eyes drifting down to their hands again. "I-I'm okay with that." The boy replied while his heart still raced in his chest. His words caused her to close her eyes and her smile to widen even further. "Then I guess it's settled." She replied, resting her head gently down on his shoulder as she slid closer to him, her own heart making leaps and bounds at the warmth his body provided. Feeling her tug on his arm as she slid closer the boy smiled once more and rested his own head against hers; finding himself lost in a moment of pure bliss as the two stared out at the night sky over Heaven's End. She had kept her promise and made it right; just as she had always done before, and would continue to do. Despite the coming storm, with each other by their side, it didn't seem as daunting or terrifying. Everything would be okay.


	16. Chapter 16: Homeward

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Geoff asked as both he and Monty watched the vessel belonging to their new mercenary allies swing into dock five; directly next to the _Warsaw_. Significantly smaller than the two larger craft commandeered by the revolutionaries, it made up for its smaller size with what was quite the impressive display of weaponry. Two forward facing, triple barrel beam turrets as well as a single turret on the rear, several point defense guns and what even appeared to be six torpedo tubes; four in the front and two facing the rear. While outdated, torpedoes were capable of drilling hard into an enemy vessel before detonating, causing massive damage throughout the area of impact. The ship, named the _Haakon_ after an ancient Earthly king, was also equipped with a hanger for mobile suits and strike craft though its capacity was undetermined, as well rather large engines, likely to help gain the advantage with superior speed.

"Oh I'm sure." Monty replied while looking out the same viewing port in the dock as Geoff, smirking a bit as he turned to his friend. "If nothing else they will help draw the Federation's sights off of our pilots when it comes time for the attack." He continued, heading towards the dock entrance to dock five as Monty followed, looking to greet their new ally as they emerged from the tunnel. There was a meeting of the entire force scheduled in an hour inside of the _Warsaw_ 's hanger, and he planned to ensure the mercenaries we're not late. His arms crossed, Monty came to a stop at the end of the tunnel, watching as the crew of the _Haakon_ floated towards them. "What about his name? It's kinda strange, isn't it?" Geoff questioned again before the group came too close, forcing Monty to laugh. "Come on Geoff. Anyone fighting for money in this world has to have some sort of narcissistic tendency." The man replied with a laugh, waving to the crew to signal he was waiting.

After a brief moment or two the group made their way to the two men, the leader of which came to a stop on his feet before them first. "Right on time, as promised." He reported to his new commander with a grin as Monty nodded, looking out at the crew before him with a bit of scrutiny; about fifty or so strong. They were a rough looking lot, many of which clearly had spent some time as pirates or even some time in a Federal prison; some likely both. That didn't discredit their ability to fight or do the job they were being paid to do. "I'm just impressed that you showed up at all, Captain Aye." Monty joked back, though a bit of serious remained in his voice. It took a brave man to stand up against the Federation like they were about to; well past the bravery that a paycheck offered, especially knowing that they would be up against a well-equipped enemy. "Your pay is good, and there isn't a coward amongst us." Aye replied, looking to his men, some of which shook their heads while some cracked their knuckles and snickered.

"These men all have their personal gripes with the Federation; me included. We wouldn't give up this opportunity for anyone else's money, despite the old taboo about mercenaries." Their leader replied as he turned back to the two rebels in front of him. Looking to Geoff as the man nodded, he smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds good enough to me. C'mon, we will be late for the meeting that I myself called." Monty instructed, waving his hand for all to follow as the proceeded towards the _Warsaw_.

Having been told to assemble by their leader, the now one hundred and seventy three strong crew of the Zeon Reformation Movement's fleet stood in various locations of the _Warsaw_ 's hanger; talking amongst themselves and performing various tasks as they waited for their leaders and newest crewmen. "I'm not entirely sure I trust our future even partially in the hands of Mercenaries. You just can't trust 'em." Tome complained out loud, sitting on the head of Amaury's nearly complete Kampfer, where the group of friends had gathered around. Most of the machine was covered in tarps to keep any debris from currently exposed sensitive equipment, hiding the appearance of the modified monster below. "I agree with Tome. How do we know these guys will really have our backs in the shit?" Sam added, standing at the base of the machines head as Marcus, a few feet to their side, shook his head.

"Don't judge them just yet. If you were in their shoes, would you trust a bunch of young guns like us to have your back? We have to earn their trust, and vice versa." The man stated as Tome sighed, looking down at Amaury and Carina, sitting side by side at the top of the machine's chest. It had been two days since the night she sent the boy to find her friend and although nothing had been said as of yet, they all knew what was happening between them. "Maybe you are right. What about you guys; what's your opinion?" She asked down to the two lovers, causing them to look up at the girl and then back at each other. "If they are willing to fight against the Federation, their motive can't just be money. I'd say we trust them until they prove us otherwise." Carina answered as she looked back to Tome, Amaury nodding in agreement. "Yeah, maybe they want the same thing as us." The boy added, smiling to Carina before his eyes shifted down at the deck of the hanger where amongst the crowd of crewmen stood Elise, alone in a corner all to herself; her bright red flight suit standing out against the olive drab suits now issued to the Movement crews.

"Is it true that a mobile suit arrived here for her?" Amaury asked out loud, causing the others to follow his vision down to their mysterious guest. He had heard such a rumor from a fellow crewman; late the night before a cargo shuttle arrived on Heaven's End and unloaded a series of cargo containers that were then in turn loaded onto the _Bastille_ under Monty's orders. The rumor had spread like wildfire, and by morning most of the crew had been talking about it. "Yeah, it's true." Carina replied as her eyes focused down on the woman, her less-than amused, arms crossed pose visible even from way up in their vantage point. Seeing how cold she was watching the crew walkabout made it hard to believe that a few days ago she was giving her heart-to-heart advise to change her life; hopefully for the better. "It's in pieces, and we are going to assemble it. Though I've been given strict instructions not to modify it in any way. 'It's perfect the way it is'." Carina mocked Elise's stern voice as Sam, Tome and Marcus laughed, even bringing a grin to Amaury, whose eyes remained locked on the woman below. So she was indeed a pilot then? If so, why didn't she help them against Lord Kurin?

"What could she possibly need a mobile suit for?" He asked as the laughing came nearly to a close, bringing Carina's attention back to him. "I don't know, honestly. She must have come kind of reasoning behind it. Personally I just want to see what it looks like. She calls it the 'Scarlet Glint', though I'm not sure exactly what that means." She replied as Sam scoffed above them. "Because it's probably red and it goes fast, Carina. Even an accounting student like me can figure that out." Sam joked as Carina jokingly turned to scowl at the boy; the others laughing as Amaury smiled to the girl at his side. "Well, he's probably right." He added playfully as Carina punched his arm playfully. "You are supposed to take my side!" She joked with a bit of a giggle, placing a hand where she had just hit him as to apologize as Marcus pointed down to the hanger floor below where Monty, Geoff and the crew of the _Haakon_ had begun to enter.

"Hold on, looks like the meeting is about to begin." He stated in an effort to quiet his laughing friends; all eyes in the room now looking down to their leader who had come to a stop in the middle of the room while the crew of the _Haakon_ fell into line with the groups of rebel soldiers waiting all around. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come to enact our grand plan; the liberation of Side 3 from the clutches of the malevolent Federation." He began as a large number of the crowd cheered and clapped, bringing a smile to their leader's face; waving the crowd to silence after a few moments. "Yes, yes. I know you all have been waiting a long time for this moment. But before we get any further, let me introduce you to the newest member of the Zeon Reformation Movement; Captain Aye and his crew." He continued, turning to the captain behind him and motioning for him to wave as the captain simply performed a two-finger salute, the other hand on his hip. "Howdy." He replied with a grin as Monty turned back to the crowd. "He will be in command of his own vessel, the _Haakon_ , along with his two top crewmen; Drex and Alpha." At the mention of their name they lifted their hands to signify which was which; Drex appearing to be in his late forties or so, while Alpha appeared to be somewhere in his late twenties. Hearing the name of their captain, the friends atop the Kampfer all looked at one another.

"His name is 'I'?" Sam questioned, prompting Carina to look back to him with a grin. "Well it is obviously spelled different. Even an engineering student like me can figure that out." She teased the boy as the group laughed quietly amongst themselves. Despite their secretive nature, Monty's eye caught the group goofing off and causing him to frown in annoyance, just as he finished pointing out Geoff to the crew of the _Haakon_ and designating him as second in command of the overall fleet. "And that up there is Carina Hughes; head engineer." He stated in a rather stern tone, pointing up to the girl who froze at the direction of his gaze and point. "If you need any maintenance or modifications done, she is the woman to see." Swallowing nervously as his attention turned back to the matter at hand, the girl looked to Amaury who gently nudged her elbow with his in an attempt to relax her a bit; successful judging by the way she placed her hand on his, well out of sight of the crewmen below.

"Now, back to business." Geoff spoke, knowing it was not his turn to take over. Walking in front of Monty with his arms behind his back, he looked individually at almost every member of the crew gathered in front of them; some new, most of them faces he had grown to know over the past few months. "You've all done exceptionally well these past two weeks, and I couldn't ask for a better crew. Both General Ishim and Admiral Krupp agree as well, and wish to extend their congratulations. Those of you just now joining us from home; you have some big shoes to fill." Geoff began with a grin as he cleared his throat, preparing for the majority of his speech. "But now the hard part begins. With our fleet well outfitted and supplied, reinforced by our new friend's here and supported by our covert operations on the home front, we are ready to set off for Side 3; but not before we discuss the plan. The operation will be carried out over the course of four separate phases; the first phase of which we have all technically been involved in since the very beginning. While we have been out here in space, Ishim and Krupp have been busy back home, rallying as much support as humanly possible for the coming revolution." Geoff continued as Monty took a turn next; one arm crossed under the other as he used his free arm to help explain.

"According to Krupp, seven of the twelve colonies at Side 3 have opted to take part in Krupp's plan; three have declined and the remaining two have not yet decided. These are direct contacts with the governors of each colony, and while this does not guarantee help militarily, it does mean that we are not alone. As for the Federal garrison forces at Side 3, Krupp has stated that there is a 'high change' for great turmoil and mutiny at the launch of the liberation effort. While I know that may not seem reassuring, I believe that the chance that a portion of the Federal garrison will side with our plight is higher than it may seem at first glance. Many within the garrison, and the Federation as a whole, were deeply disturbed by what was done in Dresden and throughout the colonies, and like us, they are willing to act upon it."

Listening as Monty and Geoff explained the plan, Amaury's mind wandered, despite the fact that he should be paying as much attention as possible to the plan they would all soon partake in. He had not put much thought into it before, but it did seem likely that part of the garrison would turn; the Federation was not entirely comprised of cruel, unfeeling terrans. The less garrison forces they had to fight the better it would be for all involved, and the more than joined them the stronger the fleet became. "This phase of the operation should wrap up while we are en route back to Side 3, and once we arrive, we will be moving forward to phase two. Phase two will be the actual start of the Liberation process, and from there everything is going to move quickly, and will kick off with the destruction of all long range communication relay stations connecting Side 3 and the Earth; three in total, placed in a triangular formation on the outskirts of the Side 3 control zone." Geoff explained, floating several objects in space around him to simulate the three relay points while he stood in the middle, simulating the Side 3 colonies.

"These relay stations are heavily defended; three of the few active military points the Federation maintains at Side 3. By the time we attack one, surely they will have set off the alarm for the others, and in turn, the Federation forces as a whole. How do you plan to handle that? Surely we can't fight the entire Federal navy on our own; no matter how many mercenary squads you hire." One of the crewman asked, concerned by the seemingly lackluster planning involved in such an early and crucial part of the operation. Looking to the man who questioned the validity of the strike, Monty smirked. "We will handle that, don't you worry. We've got just the weapon for the job. Isn't that right, Elise?" Monty asked with a smirk as he looked to the woman who stood way in the corner behind the rest of the crew. Her eyes drifted to the man as she remained leaning against the wall, arms crossed and very unhappy in appearance. "I will complete my task; don't you doubt that for a second." She replied as Monty laughed and nodded, watching the woman stare him down. "Good. That's what I like to hear." He replied as everyone's eyes focused on the blonde; her apathetic response almost haunting in the quiet hanger.

"So that's why she is still with us, huh?" Marcus asked out loud as Amaury's eyes narrowed on Elise. "I knew she wasn't just an informant; not with her last name being Ridden." He added as the boy's eyes now turned to him instead, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "What do you mean?" Amaury asked as Marcus crossed his arms, placing a leg onto the cloaked shoulder of the Kampfer as he looked down at the woman again. "There was a Zeon ace and war hero during the One Year War named Johnny Ridden; the Crimson Lightning, they called him. I only know his name because he still remains a wanted war criminal in the Federal database; something I quite frequently scrolled through during down time at the precinct. He supposedly died at the battle of A Baoa Qu, but the Federation never recovered a body, nor his mobile suit as a whole, leaving him sought after by multiple Federal organizations. Judging by her age, I'd say his survival wasn't just a myth." Marcus answered as the boy looked back to Elise once again. Could this be his daughter? Was that why Monty seemed so confident in leaving such a crucial task in the hands of a stranger? And even so, why would she be helping them?

"I had my suspicions since we first took her aboard the crew, but seeing now that she is indeed a pilot and apparently an important asset to our strike, I am certain that she is his daughter." Marcus finished as Carina continued to look down at her, noticing how uneasy she became when Monty spoke to her. He used that term again; weapon. Did he feel the same way about the woman as he did about Amaury? Did that have something to do with why she had instructed to be weary around Monty? "We will just have to trust her as well." Carina added, her personal experiencing with Elise leaning her towards trusting the woman more than anything else.

"Once the relay stations are down, Krupp will issue a speech to all of Side 3; a declaration of independence of sorts. This will also be an ultimatum, along with a deadline; three hours to surrender, defect or be destroyed. The leaders of the cooperating colonies will initiate a full-scale lockdown of the colonies themselves, locking us out, but more importantly locking what loyal garrison forces are on the colonies at the time inside." Geoff continued, knocking the small objects he had placed a physical example to the floor.

"When the timer runs out, this will be the signal to our sleeper agents lying in wait within the colonies; beginning to riot and revolt inside of the colonies with everything they've got. Weapons have been smuggled into the colonies for the protesters to use and Krupp has assured me that anywhere a Federal mobile suit is located inside of a colony there will be a means for the revolutionaries to deal with it; whether it is with anti-mobile suit weaponry, or a traitor garrison pilot and his own mobile suit. Some of our own pilots from Dresden have been instructed to capture Federal mobile suits from their dockyards as well, just as we did during Operation Duality. This will ensure that we are able to focus and operate unhindered by enemy reinforcements. We won't really know what we are up against until the bullets start flying, so any help we can get in dividing their forces will be a blessing." Geoff finished, looking around at the crowd to make sure they remained on board with the plan, though they had little choice. He understood that there was a lot to take in, but it was important that everyone understand what they were talking about. There would be no start over and no second chance. They would have one opportunity to achieve freedom, and that was it.

"When we start our assault against what remains of the garrison forces it will be all out war. We will not hold back, we will show no quarter and we will not stop until the enemy either routes or are defeated. Our own reinforcement will be limited, but as it stands right now, as colonies are cleared of resistance from the garrison forces within, we will release assets to assist where they are needed. " Geoff finished as another hand rose up in the crowd. "And then what? What will happen when we win? Surely the Federation won't just give up control of Side 3, or any single colony for that matter." The voice in the crowd asked as Monty crossed his arms. "That is being discussed at the moment. Without going into any unnecessary detail, there are several options currently on the table for handling any Federal retaliation. For right now however, we need you all to focus on the mission at hand."

"What about should the mission fail? Where is our fallback point?" A third question was asked from the crowd as Monty huffed, knowing that eventually someone was bound to ask the question. "There will be no retreat." He replied, catching a few stunned glances and mumbles from the crowd. "In the event that the situation becomes untenable, we will fight till the last man. Fight 'em till you can't fight 'em anymore. Understood?" Monty asked as the crewman reluctantly nodded, having known this from the get-go. "What was that? Do you understand?" Monty asked again, unhappy with the simple nod, forcing the men and women of the fleet to speak up. "Yes sir!" They all called out at once as the grin appeared across Monty's features once more. "Good. We set out for Side 3 at o' two hundred hours. Prepare your things, and take some time to meet your new crewmates." Monty instructed before proceeding with Geoff back to the Bastille to further discuss the plan in private; motioning for both Elise as well as Aye to follow along, for they had much to talk about.

As the group began to spread back out about the hanger, some of which even doing as Monty instructed and talking with the mercenaries they now found themselves allied with, the group atop the Kampfer remained silent; contemplating everything that had been said. "Alright, who wants to go first?" Tome asked finally, unable to bare the silence anymore, causing Marcus to burst out laughing. "I was just thinking the same thing. I guess it will be me then, eh?" He asked as his laughing stopped, looking at his friends before shaking his head.

"It's fuckin' risky. Like he said, we won't know exactly what we up against or how many until the battle itself begins. Typically the garrison consists of at least five Salamis Kai-Class cruisers, each with its own complement of mobile suits, so you are looking at twenty five suits; give or take some depending on whether or not some are down for maintenance. These are typically the mobile suits that garrison uses for colony duty, since there are no active threats to the fleet itself at the moment. However, it's not to say that a stray ship could not be in town for some reason, giving them reinforcement." The man stated, giving his insight from what he knew to be true about the security details in and around Side 3; the other four grunting almost simultaneously.

"Twenty five mobile suits supported by five warships?" Sam asked in shock, knowing that the while they had successfully fended off Kurin's forces, he only had one warship which never came into range. "Don't forget the possibility of more, not to mention the fact that while it not be much more skill than those pirates, the Federal forces are well trained." Marcus added; both Sam and Carina swallowing nervously. How could they stand up against that? Even with all of their mobile suits, the mercenaries as well as Elise's; how could they fight an entire fleet of them?

"Fuck man… what are we going to do?" Tome asked, joining in the despair as subconsciously Carina's fingers tightened around Amaury's; the thought caused her to feel sick to her stomach. Feeling the girl's grip on him tighten he turned to her, watching as her eyes stare off into space. "We fight them." Amaury replied out loud, bring Carina's eyes back to him, instantly greeting her with a small smile before looking to his nervous friends. "We fight them, and we win." He replied, bringing a grin to Marcus and a sigh to Tome, who shook her head at the boy's comment. "That's the spirit kid!" Marcus replied, jokingly and only lightly kicking at Amaury's shoulder as a voice was heard, approaching from below.

"I agree." The voice called out, forcing the group's attention down as two men who floated towards them; Drex and Alpha. "I asked for the best pilots your revolution had to offer, and the guys down there pointed up here. And based on that response, I would say we've found the right place." The one identified as Drex stated as the two came to a stop on the top of the Kampfer next to Marcus. "Well, we are the only pilots really, except for Monty and Geoff. Oh, and Elise apparently. So yeah, I'm Marcus." The man replied, sticking out his hand as the two mercenaries shook them one at a time and replied their names. "And you all are?" Drex asked as Marcus offered the answer himself. "This is Sam, Tome, and these two love birds are Amaury and Carina." He joked as both of their faces darkened a bit, forcing both him and Drex to chuckle a bit. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you all. I've heard many good things between your own captain and the rumors floating around Heaven's End. Gave old Kurin a run for his money, eh? Well, good on him." Drex laughed, placing both his hand son his hips.

"Wait, you find that funny? Isn't he one of your own?" Tome asked, still on her elevated position sitting on the Kampfer's head, drawing the attention of Alpha, who had remained silent up until this point. "No, he is not." He replied, a bit annoyed by the girls question, though part of him understood why she would assume so. "He is a traitor to his people, and whatever your people did to his was rightfully deserved." Alpha snapped back much to the girls annoyed surprise, leading Drex to raise his hand to silence him before their little introduction declined into a fist fight. "Enough Alpha, she didn't know." Drex sternly instructed, turning back to Tome and bowing his head a bit.

"My apologies, he still finds this subject. To answer your question miss, no, not anymore. He and a few other Lords who call Heaven's End their home have fallen out of favor with a great majority of us. Making backdoor deals with the Federation has a habit of doing that to a man; especially one that was once in such a high standing within the realm of the End." Drex replied in an informative, emotionless tone as the group listened, watching as Alpha crossed his arms in annoyance at the story.

Having found himself annoyed by the mercenary's abrasive attitude towards his friend, Amaury watched Alpha as Drex spoke of Kurin. This Alpha clearly had an issue with the pirate lord, but that was no reason to take it out on his new wingmen. "But, the whole story is a conversation for another time. We just wanted to introduce ourselves before our first introduction is on the battlefield." Drex added, drawing Amaury's attention to him like the rest of the group. "Right now we better get back to the _Haakon_ , we've still got some work to do before we depart for battle in the morning. Until next time." He stated as he drifted off of the Kampfer, his partner following close behind as the others watched. "Well, that was interesting." Sam stated as soon as the two were well out of ear shot as Marcus shrugged. "I don't know, they seem half decent." He replied in turn as Tome stood finally form her seated position and looked down at their own crew, scattering to complete whatever tasks they had to complete before departure in the morning.

"Well, what do you wanna do guys?" Tome asked, feeling the need to stretch a bit from having sat still so long. "Wanna hit up the town again? Who knows when the next time we'll be able to relax, shop or eat something that isn't out of a can will be. We should enjoy it while it lasts." At Tome's Suggestion Sam nodded and turned to Marcus who shrugged with a sigh. "I'm game. Carina? Amaury?" He asked, still annoyed by the boys disappearance two days prior; regardless or not if it worked out for him in the long run. Hearing Marcus' question, Carina looked down at the Kampfer below them. It still needed some work, though it was the kind of work that the ground crew could handle; trusting them well enough to allow them to reassemble to parts correctly without supervision.

Looking back up to Amaury, she knew he was hungry; having spent the whole night two nights prior watching the city lights together, and the whole day before working on the Kampfer and the other few mobile suits that needed work without much time for a break for meals. But she also knew him well enough to know he was waiting to answer until she had spoken her mind, not wanting to choose something she wouldn't want. "Absolutely. We would love to." She replied for them as she watched his facial expression to confirm that she had chosen right; doubting that he would complain even if she had not.

"Alright! I know just the place." Sam called out as Marcus's eyes widened. "Oh no Sam, you are not choosing the same damn boring place again!" Marcus scolded the boy who rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, it's really not that bad!" Sam complained as Marcus prepared to yell, stopping as Tome yelled over the both of them. "The both of you shut up! I'm picking the place this time and you both will deal with it!" She demanded as both of the men remained silent, causing both Amaury and Carina to laugh. Looking at one another for a moment as they smiled, Carina was quickly grabbed by the hand as Tome flew past the two of them.

"C'mon Carina, we gotta get ready!" She called out, dragging the shocked girl away as the guys laughed at the sight. "We'll see you in an hour!" Tome called as the boy looked at each other and shook their heads. "You two better go as well; gotta look pretty for your ladies." Marcus teased as Sam and Amaury looked at one another, then back to Marcus. "And you need to find yourself one." Sam busted as Marcus scoffed. "Please, why would I need to settle for one, when I can please them all." He replied, flexing his muscles as Amaury shook his head and pushed off of the Kampfer; destined for his room and a fresh pair of decent clothes. "Annnnnd I'm gone." He replied as Sam followed behind with a slight laugh. "As am I."

"We had a deal Kurin. Those mobile suits were supposed to be under lock and key; only accessible to be used by your men against your fellow pirate scum and the merchants out here in deep space." Delacout scolded the pirate lord who remained on his knees, looking up at the Federal operative through a half closed black eye as blood poured from his nose; so much blood that it was nearly impossible to see the pirate lord's hatred fueled emotion. His entire crew had been corralled into a circle around him in the hanger, just as they had been when the Zeon fleet inspected their ship for cargo, except this time under threat of execution by the Federal boarding party at their throats. Standing right behind him remained his three closest pilots, First Mate Douglas, Latty and the third who had escaped the his mobile suit being destroyed, identified only as Jazz.

Latty had survived the encounter with the Movement's demon and been recovering in the medical bay of the _Kurin's Pride_ before being forced out into the hanger by the Feds, requiring Douglas' help to stand; her arm wrapped around her commanding officers shoulder for support. "Now, we have a major situation; these people who robbed you, who stole not only those mobile suits but also countless amounts of ammunition and explosives are not pirates, are they?" The Federal officer asked, pacing back and forth in front of the lord with his bloodied handgun still in hand, the back of which he used to strike the pirate lord again; his crew cringing and gasping at the brutality unfolding before them.

"No, they are not." Delacout calmly answered his own question without remorse after striking Kurin, who had fallen on his face before two of the Federation soldiers lifted him back onto his knees. The whole time, Tegan stood watching his brother work; unphased by anything he saw before him. Having been under the service of his brother for the past three years now, he had grown accustomed to such brutality, citing it as just another way to get the job done. "So who are they Kurin?" He questioned again as Kurin looked up at the man, spitting a bloody tooth to the ground as he did so. They should have never allowed these men to come close to the _Pride_ , and he was foolish for believing they were there to help the crippled vessel return back to Heaven's End; regardless of how long the deal between the two groups had existed. "I told you everything I know, Delacout. They never said who they were; only that they were in it for the freedom of mankind in space." Kurin replied between heavy breaths, likely having suffered some kind of broken rib or internal injury during the beating.

The man before him stopped his pacing and turned to look at the lord, staring down at the now feeble man at his feet. "They didn't?" He asked as Kurin shook his head no. With a scoff, Delacout shook his head and without wasting any time, lifted his handgun and shot Jazz in the forehead, killing him instantly as Latty and several others in the crew screamed in horror. "Oh, what a shame. Always a waist to put a Newtype down, but maybe now his Lord won't lie to me!" Delacout yelled in Kurin's face; the shot nearly deafening to the lord on the ground, who growled in anger as he slammed his fist into the ground.

"You fucking bastard, I told you they didn't tell me!" Kurin angrily replied, looking back to see which of his crew had been killed. "How dare you kill one of my men in such a dishonorable fashion! I'll have you fucking killed for that! I-" He called out, stopping as he turned back around to face Delacout, finding the barrel of the firearm now pressed against his bloodied forehead. "You'll what?" Delacout asked, tilting his head to the side as he stared at Kurin with a sort of sadistic smile across his face, squatting down in front of him so that he could stare into the eye that remained open. "From where I am standing, I don't really see much of anything you have left the threaten us with." He replied, looking up around at the shattered crew, some of which now cried under the pressure as well as having watched one of their fellow crewman be executed. His eyes then returned back to the pirate lord before him, staring deep into Kurin's soul and seeing the broken man he had become so easily.

"In fact, I don't think I see much of anything you have left to offer us at all." He added as he laughed a bit to himself, and then without noticed, executed lord Kurin too; spray his blood across Douglas and Latty; their eyes focusing on their leader as his body fell to the floor. Douglas' breath quivered before he ground his teeth together, focusing on the blood covered man who had just executed his longtime leader, now standing and looking out at the them. "Y-You... " He grunted in fear and hatred as Delacout lifted his hand above his head and looked around to the soldiers to his left and right, who all took aim at the surviving members of Kurin's horrified crew. "Kill them all."


	17. Chapter 17: Death Of The Pride

Setting out early the next morning, the fleet of three was given a projected arrival five days, which just like their original flight out to the Loum Shoal Zone, would feel like an eternity. Unlike their initial journey however there was much to be done on the way back to Side 3, and for the most part everyone had a task to complete before the end of the week. Having completed the work on his project of producing mobile suits to ship back to Side 3, Reo Ishutari was placed in charge of constructing the Ares Gundam based on Carina's designs; much to her dismay. The designs were hers; she had worked tirelessly on them and to take that away from her as a professional punishment in response to a personal issue was appalling to the girl. The only bit of solace she found in the matter was that with her baring from the Gundam construction, she found the time necessary to complete the Kampfer for Amaury. It needed only another day or two of work, and nearing the end of the first day, she had determined it to be complete enough for Amaury to begin field testing it.

Though knowing who the machine was for, she had a constant feeling that all of her and the team's work had not been enough. Despite the tuning of the reactor, thrusters and even with the overall armor improvements, the girl felt it wouldn't be fast or agile enough, and she feared it wouldn't be enough to keep him safe. What she was certain of was that the machine was dangerous; a fact she could tell without him even setting foot inside of the cockpit and turning it on. With its enhanced capabilities and knowing just how the boy flew, she worried that he wouldn't realize the strain it was putting on his body, and she could only imagine what level of danger she had put him in under the pretense of keeping him safe. If he was able to injure himself with the standard Zaku II during Duality, how badly would this monster hurt him? If it meant keeping her and the rest of their friends safe, he would push himself to the brink of destruction!

Trying to shake the thoughts and knowing he would beat her to the machine after calling him to it over the ship's internal communications system, she did her best to hurry, not wanting him to fly the machine without seeing him first so that she may issue her warning. Plus, as Amaury had been in several briefings and drills with Geoff and the other pilots for most of the day to discuss the plan more in depth, she had yet to see him today, leaving her extra excited as she entered the hangar and noticed that the cockpit hatch to the now green machine was open.

Already inside of the cockpit checking out his new machine, Amaury's ears rang a bit at the girls approach, and as she landed on the entrance to the cockpit he turned his vision directly towards her. "Excuse me; don't you know to wait before opening a present?" She teased as the boy smiled and turned his full body to face her, staring at her hair as he noticed the difference; her single dark braid now was to the right side of her head, allowing the left to flow naturally over her shoulder. Seeing the boy stair, she blushed a bit and nervously ran her fingers across the braid. "The hair?" She asked as Amaury nodded with a bit of a smile, finding the look particularly attractive on the girl; though he had never found her unattractive by any means. "I-It's just something Tome came up with and begged me to let her do. I've been bunking with her the last few nights, since there isn't any bunks available anywhere else." She replied, looking back to the boy.

"Do you like it?" She asked as he nodded again, rubbing the back of his neck in his own nervous twitch. "Y-Yes, of course I do." He replied as she blushed deeper before looking around at the cockpit around them. "W-what about the suit? That's more important than my hair, Amaury." She pushed him back playfully until he floated to a stop against the seat, a laugh coming over him as he looked around as well. "Its amazing Carina." He replied, having not seen the machine since Monty yelled at him for assisting on its construction. Much had changed on the unit including its color, which had gone from the pirate's black and white dazzle camouflage to a more tactical green color; a bit brighter than their uniforms, but still dull enough to conceal the suit should it need to be.

"It was a big project, but I think it came out well." Carina replied, reaching past the boy to turn on the primary ignition; lighting up the cockpit and all of the screens around them. Being such an outdated design, she did her best to update and improve the electronics and communications systems, as well as the targeting software. Looking around at all of the instruments and displays illuminating she pushed him into the seat, forcing him to sit down as he turned to the weapons control panel and noticed that there were far more weapon status indicators than the Zakum. "Atop of handheld weapons, we redesigned the Kampfer to be capable of firing weapons attached on hard points on the legs; mostly missiles, but we could mount things such as extra ammunition and the like. The machine can also store three weapons in addition to whatever it is carrying in its hand at the time of launch; a feature that Kurin's crew had apparently decided not to take advantage of. It also has a spot for a heat hawk, the two beam saber ports in its thighs and a pair of 60mm Vulcan guns in the head; not the best for shooting down mobile suits, but handy against fighters and other soft things." The girl continued seeing Amaury reach over and open the weapon's display before pointing over to his thruster status display.

"I know you've notice that it also has considerably more thrusters than the Zakum, and with that exponentially greater speed; even more so now that we've turned the reactor and thrusters even more. Once consumed, it can also eject weapons racks and empty rocket and missile pods, further increasing its speed. This thing will fly through the air like lightning and move like it too; all while hitting with an exceptional punch, even with the upgraded armor we talked about before." She finished, causing her to look down at their feet, nearly touching in the cramped cockpit. This was what she wanted to warn him of, as if he decided to fly like lightning, he could kill himself in the process.

"What's its name?" He asked before she could speak her warning, causing her to look back up at the boy who patiently waited for a reply while smiling warmly at the woman who had built him such a powerful weapon. "We call it the RMS-18E Jaeger; meaning hunter in old-world German. Though I can't take credit; Aye gave me the idea. He was in here earlier today inquiring about some work he needed done on his mobile suits when he saw this. He asked if it was for you, and suggested Jaeger based on what he assumed was your heritage. Apparently he is fluent in a few old world languages including German, though I'm not sure why a mercenary would need to know such ancient dialects." She added in thought as Amaury looked up back to her with a look of curiosity.

"You are of German descent, right? Is that name okay?" She asked, afraid that maybe his family wasn't German after all, but the boy shook his head. "I am. Or at least I think; my mother had suggested something to that affect once when I was little, talking about her grandparents and great grandparents. And of course the name is alright; you built it, and if that's what you want it to be called, so do I." He answered, thinking back at his mother's words and recalling how he very much would have liked to have met his family; a smile across his face regardless of the somber memory. "Oh, okay. Good." The girl sighed in relief, having already signed all of the documentation for the unit as the Jaeger and not wanting to have go about changing it all. She couldn't help but notice that he didn't protest the name; unlike Monty who scoffed at the name she had given the Gundam.

"There is one thing though." She remembered, wanting to make sure she did not forget again before he had to use the machine. Humming in curiosity he tilted his head as he stood up in front of her and upon seeing the sad look creeping over her features, placed his hands into hers. "What's wrong?" He asked as she looked up at him, then down to the controls to their side. "This machine, it… it will be efficient, powerful and it should keep you safe while you fight... but at the same time I'm afraid that it will also be dangerous." She admitted, tightening her grip a little as she rearranged their hands so that their fingers interlocked; something she had grown fond of over the past few days. Swallowing nervously she fought against the fears she held inside, knowing that it was very possible for the boy to not only injure his eyes again, but also possible to cause his brain to bleed from burst blood vessels; something very serious that could cripple or kill the boy.

"With everything I've done, I afraid you will take it too far and accidentally… k-kill yourself out there. Your body might be more use to these forces now, but…" Stopping she closed her eyes, trying not to show that the worry was flooding her eyes with tears. Knowing he was looking down at her, she pressed her head against his chest, further hiding her face. "Just please be careful, Amaury… please don't push yourself past what your body can handle. I-I don't want my work to be the reason you don't come home…" She mumbled into his chest as he listened to her plea, causing him to wrap his arms around her tightly. She really did worry about him an awful lot, didn't she? It wasn't a horrible feeling; in fact it was appreciated more than he could explain, knowing that someone cared whether or not he was alive or dead. He despised the fact that all of the worry made her cry however and each time tears formed in her eyes he could feel his heart ache right along with her. "Your work is what keeps me safe Carina. I'm alive because of you." He replied softly, running his hand through the unbraided part of her hair as he held her head against his chest; the girl's face darkening as the warmth of his hand formed goosebumps over her skin. "But I promise you I will stay safe."

"You better; I don't think Monty will take me back." She joked with a sniffle, wiping her eyes before stepping back from her Amaury; the joke leaving a bad taste in her mouth, despite the fact that it was not even the slightest bit serious. Amaury shook his head with a small grin as their hands met again; the two's eye locked to one another as they smiled at one another. After a brief moment her eyes lit up further and she let go of his hands while turning to the door. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She yelled, stepping out onto the cockpit hatch and grabbing something she had left outside suspended in midair; a new helmet. "Marcus mentioned that your last one was… broken," She began, knowing that he smashed it out of anger following their run-in with Monty, though she was not willing to divulge that she was aware of that fact. "So I got you this, before we left Heaven's End." Handing him the helmet, he immediately knew it wasn't a normal helmet; appearing more modern and slightly more advanced than the relics they had been issued before. The communication ear cups were well defined and looked to almost be removable, as did the lower part of the helmet that wrapped around the chin to form a seal for the face glass.

"It's a bit different, but I saw a few of the Heaven's End Defense Force pilots wearing them, so they must work well. It's got an upgraded radio system, and can be dismantled for cleaning and use outside of space combat." Taking the helmet into his hands as she described it's features, he ran his fingers over the fresh paint; its color the same as his new mobile suit, save for a symbol on the back of the helmet not more than an inch or two in size. "What's this symbol?" He asked out of curiosity, running his thumb across the painted symbol which to him resembled a flower, though it was one he had never seen before in his life; it's pink petals wrapping upwards as if to protect the core.

"It's a Waratah flower; native to Australia, my father's home county. We saw them all the time when we visited my grandparents. They are my favorite." She described with a smile, her face already darkening in preparation for what she was about to say. "I've decided that since I have your jacket, you needed something of mine; and since I doubt you are going to fit in one of my jackets, I figured this would do." She replied with a little laugh at the image of him trying to wear one of her jackets, the boy's face now reddened as well. "This way you won't forget about me out there." She added as he looked back up at her with a sheepish smile. "I-I could never forget you Carina; not even if I tried." He replied as she smiled, caught of guard as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead; the girl immediately flushing as dark as possible by the unexpected action. He kissed her forehead? He was so shy and timid that she never would have guessed he would make a move like this, though it was onone that she didn't mind one single bit.

Acting off of his initiative, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled the blushing boy into a tight hug, burying her own red face into his chest as he laughed; glad his brazen and uncharacteristic move did not upset her, remaining there for a few moments before the General Quarters alarm began to sound overhead. "Oh come on, what now!" Carina huffed, enjoying their little moment too much to want it to end; especially like this. Amaury couldn't help but laugh at her reaction despite the deafening sound all around them, despite the fact that alarm could mean something bad was about to happen. "General Quarters, General Quarters." The voice began to announce as the two stepped out onto the hatch of the Jaeger, watching the hangar crew scattering to clear the mobile suit lane. "Unknown object detected in our path; all mobile suits to standby status. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill." Hearing the voice finish, Amaury turned to Carina who sighed again and shook her head.

"You know, when I told you it was time to test the Jaeger, I didn't mean so soon." She playfully complained while the boy pulled his new helmet on and made several small adjustments to the straps before lifting the visor up. "Alright, let's get this thing armed I guess." Carina she added, placing a hand on his helmet as she looked into his eyes. "Be careful, alright?" She asked as he smiled and nodded, taking her hands in his once more as he did so. "I will." He replied simply before turning and entering his new mobile suit; waiting for her to clear before shutting the hatch and locking it down. "Update?" He heard Tome's voice call out, recently placed onto the _Bastille_ along with Sam in an effort to spread their five active pilots between the two vessels; Amaury and Marcus having remained onboard the _Warsaw_ under Geoff's command. Elise had also joined them onboard the ship, almost entirely because of the presence of the Crimson Shimmer being re-assembled in the hangar; unable to fit aboard the _Bastille_ due to the massive Ares Gundam construction efforts.

"Unknown. Sensors are picking up a large vessel surrounded by multiple smaller signals; likely a debris field. Neither of these were present on our voyage into Heaven's End and Captain McNeil wants the crew on high alert while we investigate." The EWACS Operator advised in response to Tome's inquiry. The object was still a bit of a distance away and was not visible through the Minovsky Particle interference, which also disrupted the sensors a great deal. Sitting in his position at the helm of the _Bastille_ , Monty rubbed his facial hair in a pondering motion, waiting for any signs of what they were approaching.

"Geoff?" He asked as his friend, now preparing to operate the sole Rick Dom the group had purchased and upgraded while on Heaven's End, answered. "Go ahead." He replied, stepping out onto the mobile suit lane of the _Warsaw_ 's hangar next to Amaury and grabbing a bazooka from the rack across from them. "Take Marcus and Amaury and scout ahead; I don't want to walk the fleet into some sort of trap." He instructed to his right hand man who turned behind him to watch Amaury's Jaeger loading a 120mm MG from the rack, as well as Marcus who grabbed a shortened, movement friendly version of the anti-ship rifle he had used before. "Roger. Amaury, Marcus; on me." Geoff instructed as the two agreed and lined up behind him to wait for the catapult. Nervously waiting for the doors to open, Amaury continued to go over his new cockpit, familiarizing himself once again with the location of each and every button that he could see, knowing that if he needed something in a hurry and couldn't find it he would be a dead man.

With the doors finally open, Geoff locked his feet into the catapult and increased is thrusters, awaiting permission to launch and upon receiving the green light in front of him, did so immediately. "Geoff Walker, Rick Dom II; launching." He announced as the towering mobile suit catapulted out into space, flying towards the site of the sensor reading at a reduced rate as he waited for his reinforcement to launch.

Knowing that Amaury's suit would be significantly faster than his, Marcus stepped in front of him; the Zakum's eye turning to the Jaeger as he did so. "Why don't you let me go first? That way I won't get left behind." He jokingly asked as Amaury nodded, looking from the corner of his eye to the screen on his right. "Go ahead. I'll pass you anyway." He replied as Marcus laughed, flipping his friend off through the camera as he locked his suit's feet down into the catapult. "See you out there. Marcus Northwood, Zakum One; heading out." Marcus announced as he too was shot from the carrier into the void; spinning as he did so. Having only just been cleared to fly from his injury, this was his first time flying the Zakum and he was trying to get a good feel for their capabilities.

Watching Marcus fly away Amaury smirked, knowing that with Carina's creation, he could easily bypass both Marcus and Geoff. But in keeping his promise to her, he opted not to; deciding instead that catching up to them would be enough. Watching as Amaury locked his feet into the catapult, Carina pulled the sleeve of his jacket nervously to her mouth. She had told herself over and over again that she couldn't continue to fear every time he set out, but she couldn't help it; especially since this was the first time he would fly the Jaeger. Thought after thought of how it would perform raced through her mind, hoping that everything went well and he would return safely. Taking a deep breath as he received the green light to launch, Amaury throttled up his thrust and prepared to go.

"Amaury Dietrich, Jaeger; Launching." He called out clearly, releasing the catapult and then himself from the mounts as he reached the end of the runway; his thrusters screaming as he opened them further, propelling himself towards the area of operations at significant speed. Closing in on Marcus, he performed his own spin with minimal effort, noticing right away just how agile the Jaeger really was, and understanding the reason Carina was concerned. If this was barely half power, what would full look and feel like?

"Coming through." Amaury calmly stated as he whizzed past Marcus, whose mono-eye barely had time to lock onto the boy as he passed. "Holy shit!" He called out with a laugh as he increased his own throttle in an attempt to keep up with the Jaeger, though he failed miserably. Even Geoff took notice to the impressive rate at which the mobile suit approached him, watching as Amaury reduced the throttle to fly in line with his squad leader. "How's it feel?" Geoff asked as the boy couldn't help but smile beneath his visor. "Amazing." Was all he could reply as Geoff laughed and shook his head. "Are you sure that has nothing to do with who built it for you?" He jokingly questioned as Amaury smiled and quietly shook his head in turn. "It better be!" Carina called out on the radio, having acquired a radio to listen in on their forces outside of the hangar; both to see what incoming mobile suits would need in the ways of rearmament, as well as to be able to check on her friends.

"It is, don't worry." Amaury replied as Monty cut them off; a bit disgusted by their idle chatter and needing to save face amongst his crew, who would had expected him to be unhappy with the whole situation between the two lovers. "Anything yet?" He asked impatiently as he tapped his fingers on the arm of the captain's chair in anticipation as the group fell silent, not wanting to anger their commander any more than he already seemed. "No, not yet. Should be any second." Geoff replied, boosting a bit faster towards their destination as Marcus caught up to the group, and within another thirty seconds or so, the sensor ping became visible to the flight group; a warship of some kind, heavily damaged and torn in half. "Holy shit…" Marcus mumbled again as they came closer to the debris field, watching as pieces of the ship and deceased crewmen drifted aimlessly through space. Slowing his speed, Amaury scanned and drifted through the wreckage for any signs of life or movement; his ears ringing at a low frequency as he did so, believing that there was someone out there. At the same time Geoff approached the ship, his eyes widening as he observed the paint job of the un-shredded pieces of hull.

"Son of a bitch. Monty, it's the _Kurin's Pride_. It's gone." Geoff called back to the approaching fleet, his vision switching from the ship to Amaury who reported back in front of him, slowing to a stop. "From the looks of it, so is the entirety of the crew." The boy added, looking out at the destruction. What happened here? "Who could have done this?" Carina asked, still listening in on the conversation. Knowing that while they were their enemies a few days prior, it was by their hand that the _Pride_ was put into such a deplorable, combat-inefficient state; causing an uneasy feeling in her stomach. "I'll tell you who did it." A voice transmitted across their channel, the rather broken and scratchy voice easily recalled by the boy who had heard plenty of it during their fight; Kurin's First Mate, Douglas.

Immediately scanning the debris field for any hostile mobile suits, Amaury's eyes shifted from screen to screen as he moved himself to a position above the _Pride_ , readying his weapon. "Where are you?" Amaury growled, waiting for his previous opponent to emerge at any moment in assault against their forces; recalling just how fiercely the man fought against him. To his surprise, instead of a threat or a charge, Amaury received a low, pained chuckle, sensing the boy's hostility towards him already. "Please… do you think I did this?" Douglas asked as he coughed and cleared his throat immediately afterwards. With as much debris and Minovsky interference as there was, he could not pick up anything on his sensors, even though the pilot had to be close. "Well if not you, who else?" Geoff asked as both he and Marcus both remained on the lookout for some kind of attack. "Who cares! That son of a bitch was one of Lord Kurin's dogs." Alpha's voice called out as both he and Drex launched and landed on the hull of the _Hookan_ , preparing for a fight at the sound of a Void Gang member.

"Alpha, is that you? How's Crayden's leash treating you?" Douglas called out again as Alpha scowled. "Fuck you, I swear if I-" Alpha began, stopping as Aye himself landed next to his crewman; their three brown Ratniks with different colored stripes standing out against their ship. "Enough Alpha." Aye commanded; he too interested to hear who had done this, despite his differences against the Kidds Void Gang. "Yeah, listen to… your boss." Douglas taunted again, stopping to cough between words as Geoff grew tired of the banter. "I will ask again; who did this?" He again asked, his voice more demanding than before as he flashed his Dom's lights at Amaury and pointed its finger towards the two halves of Kirun's vessel, trying to quietly signal that it was the only place that the pirate could be hiding. "Fuckin Federation, that's who. They killed everyone except me and Latty… though she might be dead now, I don't know..." He replied as Alpha scoffed.

"The deal really paid off for you all, didn't it?" He taunted as Douglas' coughing could be heard through the radio once more, though Monty replied for him to keep the arguing to a minimum; the fleet now close enough to pick up the pirate's radio traffic despite the heavy interference spewing forth from the breached reactor of the _Kurin's Pride_. "The Federation? What were they doing all the way out here?" He asked the pirate, the answer hurting Douglas to say. "Kurin made a deal with them several years ago… they were to provide us the tools necessary to defeat those who opposed us in return for our cooperation in helping their own... agenda." Douglas explained, having to pause to catch his breath a few times in between words, clear to all those listening that the man on the other end was seriously injured. "After our battle, Kurin called… and reported the suits stolen. They were supposed to come get them back, but instead… well, you can see the result." He continued as Monty grew uneasier by the second. "Kurin called who?" He asked, clearly able to see the _Pride_ 's final resting place from their distance now.

"Delacout… or something. I don't know; their ship said _Cerberus_ on it… I'm not sure if that was the name, or if that…" He continued, coughing violently as Monty froze. Cerberus? The only thing he could remember pertaining to Cerberus during his years in the Federal Military was a rumor long told about a special operations group by that name, shrouded in mystery and often called for wetwork of various types. Could it be the same thing? "Look, I'm not going to beg for my life… but at least… save Latty." He called once more as his suit finally became visible, drifting slowly from the hangar wreckage of the ship. Seeing the movement Amaury locked onto the suit, but watching as the now one armed, one and a half legged Kampfer drifted almost powerlessly towards the fleet, he paused and held his fire. This man wasn't a threat, at least not anymore.

Seeing the crippled mobile suit flying towards the fleet slowly, Monty contemplated his actions. He could easily give the order to have them shot down; it would be appropriate for pirates, especially those who had caused such a thorn in their side not long ago. But then again, with more information needed on exactly what was happening, it would be foolish to simply destroy the poor man and his assumed passenger. "Fine. Tome, Sam, go bring him into the _Bastille_. But get guards down there, I want him and his passenger in chains the moment they set foot aboard the ship." Monty ordered as Douglas scoffed. "She can't handle chains, she is barely breathing, if that even…" He protested, despite knowing he did not have much ground to do so. "She will receive aid; in chains." Monty added, and in silence Douglas agreed, drifting cautiously towards the two oncoming Zakums; one grabbing the disabled Kampfer while the other provided escort cover, quickly moving the mobile suit towards the _Bastille._

"I can't believe you are going to help him…" Alpha stated in a low tone out of anger as both Drex and Aye turned to stare at him. "Knock it off Alpha. Monty is the commander now, and what he says, goes." Drex instructed as Alpha sighed. Still floating near the wreckage of the Kurin's ship, Amaury watched his friends tow the enemy away towards their command vessel as it's hangar doors opened, turning to look out into space when he suddenly sensed something coming towards them. His ears ringing loudly as a rocket flew towards him, he thrust backwards to avoid the round as it struck the _Pride_.

"Incoming fire!" Geoff called out as he too dodged an incoming rocket, boosting backwards towards their carriers as the EWACS Operator came across the radio. "What is their heading? This close to the destroyed cruiser we are receiving too much interference. I can't see them." He stated in a calm manner as Amaury dodged yet another incoming rocket; watching as a third flew past him, straight towards the _Bastille_. "Monty, you've got one coming right at you!" Amaury called out, watching as the round flew past Tome and Sam about to touch down with Douglas on the deck of the hangar. "Close the doors!" Marcus yelled, but it was too late as the round flew down the catapult and collided with the deck of the hangar; detonating one docking bay over from where the Gundam was being constructed, consuming the area in fire.

Watching in horror Amaury's vision turned back towards where the incoming fire had come from, spotting eight hostile mobile suits headings right towards them. Gnashing his teeth together, the boy dodged yet another rocket and boosted headlong towards the enemies in anger as Geoff followed, knowing they had to relieve the pressure off of the damaged ship. "Bastards!" Amaury screamed as he approached the formation of mobile suits and slammed into one before being knocked away by another that immediately locked onto him and fired a beam machine gun, of all things. Beam weaponry had become rather scarce for the Federation following the breakdown of arms started in the year 0105, so it's presence here meant that these truly were no ordinary soldiers. Knowing the dangers presented by beam weapons, he dodged the rounds carefully and fired his own weapon down at the attacker as both sides evaded in and out of fire.

"This kid's fast; even with that relic he pilots." Tegan called out over their secured frequency, drawing his beam saber and swinging down on Amaury as he reloaded his weapon; forcing the boy to boost back; targeting the beam saber in his opponents hands and opened fire with his Vulcan guns destroying the weapon as he did so. Annoyed, the hostile pilot whipped it away as it exploded and drew his main weapon once again. "Skilled as well it would seem." Tegan added as his brother nodded, watching on his approach to assist. "It would seem so indeed. Show them the Trevelyn way little brother; don't let some colony rat show you up." Delacout teased as he himself was intercepted by Geoff in his Rick Dom, dodging Geoff's rocket and returning fire with his beam machine gun; forcing the pilot evade.

" _Bastille_ , I've got eight hostiles; six appear to be modified ECOAS-Type RGM-89D Jegans, with the two others being Jesta's. Guys, you've got to be careful, these beam weapons will tear you apart." He warned, boosting his large mobile suit into a Jegan to knock it off course, though the experienced pilot was able to correct himself rather quickly and now chased after Geoff along with their leader. "Amaury, we have to get back to the others. They are too much to handle on our own." Geoff ordered as Amaury avoided a near hit from an incoming rocket. "Roger, let's go!" He agreed, boosting backwards in tandem with his squad leader, both firing behind them as the fell back. "Guys we are bringing all eight in hard, get something ready!" Geoff warned; his bazooka exploding out of his hands after being struck by a beam shot.

"Way ahead of you!" Aye called out from atop his ship, having ordered it to turn hard to starboard broadside in front of the damaged _Bastille_ to protect it from any other damage. Turning all of it's cannons towards the enemy fleet, Aye smirked to himself. This likely wouldn't cause any damage to the enemy units, but it sure would look nice and cause a hell of a distraction. "Alright boys, breaaaaaak off!" Aye commanded, carrying his word until ready to issue the order; which upon receiving the two pilots broke left and right, allowing _Haakon_ to open fire.

"Fire at will!" Aye ordered from his mobile suit, pointing with it's hand from atop the deck of the ship in true performer's fashion; watching in enjoyment as the ship's main weaponry fired towards the approaching mass, forcing the group to break up and avoid the incoming capital fire. "Alright boys, now's our chance; let's go!" Aye cried out with a rebel yell, his two loyal wingmen doing the same as the trio boosted their Ratniks straight towards the enemies, passing Amaury and Geoff as they regrouped with Marcus. "Those crazy fools." Geoff scoffed, watching the melee oriented Ratniks strike out against one of the Jestas, as well as two Jegans with their melee weapons before turning to Amaury.

"That is what you bring to the party to fight for your life in?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm as Amaury huffed. "Didn't know we were expecting company." He replied, his Jaeger's eye focusing over towards the _Bastille_ ; smoke billowing from the hangar's emergency vents before dissipating into space. "Get down to the _Warsaw_ while the hangar is open and get something other than that. Carina, you hear that?" Geoff asked as the girl replied. "Y-Yes sir." She answered, shaken up over what was happening over on the _Bastille_. The fire had nearly engulfed suit bay four, which was right next to where the explosion must have occurred, and there were multiple reports of injuries and even fatalities. Those were people she had spent countless hours with in that hangar, and had the events of the last week not occurred, she would be right there with them.

Doing as he was told, Amaury approached the _Warsaw_ 's hangar just as Douglas' Kampfer was removed from the lane and placed into an available bay; having been directed there due to the damage done to the _Bastille_ 's own. Waiting for Sam and Tome to fly from the hangar, he watched as they boosted off into the combat that was beginning to unfold around the fleet. "Be careful guys." He called to them as they boosted off to join the others, knowing that these enemies were highly skilled opponents. "We will; don't spend too long in the hangar. There might not be any left if you do." Tome jested as Amaury scoffed. "I'm not too worried about that." He replied as he proceeded into the hangar and came to a landing at the foot of the catapult, watching as Douglas and his injured comrade drifted out of their mobile suit and into the custody of several movement soldiers; the girl unresponsive and being taken away on a backboard towards the medical bay.

"Down here, Amaury." Carina called to the boy, drawing his attention to the bay she wished him to back into so that they could quickly refit the machine for combat. Wasting as little time as possible, he backed it into position before opened the hatch to the machine and exiting; spotting Carina and rushing to her side as the hangar crew did their best lifting and placing weapons onto the machine. "What's going on over there?" He asked as he approached, seeing the tears in her eyes once more. Looking to him as she covered her mouth with his jacket, she wiped her eyes, knowing this was not the time to cry. "Reo's dead, along with several others." She replied having just learned of Reo's death as Amaury landed; the boy's stomach instantly twisting into a knot.

Though he had not known Reo very well, he had worked under him several times since their departure out into space, and he knew that Carina and him had become close friends. "I-I'm sorry…" He replied as he clenched his fists together in anger, looking back at the Jaeger to check on the status of its re-arm. "Don't be sorry..." She replied, looking back to him with a feigned smile. "Just please be careful." She asked of him once more as he nodded and looked back again to the Jaeger again, nearly done now. Floating closer to him she placed her hands into his, the pain visible in her eyes. "I will come back, I promise." He added as she smiled, pointing back to his finished suit. "Go kick their ass!" She yelled, bringing a smile to the boy as he let go off her hand, turned and floated to his mobile suit. "Yes ma'am."

Slamming into the cockpit seat he fired the reactor back up and stepped into the lane, seeing that the machine had been re-equipped with the two missile pods Carina had spoken of; their status displayed to his left on the munitions screen, though he still had to outfit the other remaining weapon carrying slots. Looking to the rack opposite of the mobile suit docks, he took and stowed two of their recently purchased 360mm Bazooka's as well as a heat hawk on his back; the 120mm MG he had before still in his hand, though he did take another drum of ammunition for the weapon. Once he was sure all of the weapon's controls synced to his suit, he approached the catapult and locked himself down again, preparing for the light to turn green before launching back out into the fray which had moved closer to the ships now; centered around the wreckage of the _Pride._

Boosting straight towards the fight, he targeted one of the Jegans in his path, currently engaged in a melee battle with Drex; waiting until his ally pushed the enemy back to fire two of the missiles on his legs at the suit. The first striking it's arm and blowing it from its body, the second missing and flying off into space before detonating harmlessly, though it did force the Jegan to retreat temporarily away from his ally. "I appreciate the help kid, but I coulda got him." Drex thanked him with a boisterous laugh as the Jaeger ripped by him at high speed, the boy silent as he focused on one of the two Jesta's above them at the time. These were the most advanced mobile suits present form what he could tell, and it would make sense that one of these two was the leader of the whole strike force. Locking onto the Jesta as it violently kicked back Tome's Zakum before shooting at Sam's and forcing him to evade, Amaury switched to one of his bazooka's and boosted towards the hostile at nearing eighty percent max throttle as he did so. Firing two rounds that whizzed past the pilot as he completed a near-miss evasion, the hostile pilot turned to fire at the boy while boosting away from Tome and Sam. Feverishly evading the incoming fire, Amaury spun and zig-zagged closer and closer towards his enemy, firing an additional shot at close range before avoiding a swipe of the Jesta's now active beam saber; the round blowing the Jesta's shield out of his hands and angering the pilot within who forcefully patched himself into the Rebel comms network.

"From the looks of that mobile suit, you must be their ace." Tegan called out to Amaury, chasing after the speeding Jaeger as the boy switched back to the 120mm machine gun and opened fire on the Federal behind him. "Not yet." Amaury taunted, cutting his thrust and angling himself down on the approaching enemy before boosting forward at full speed; the two passing by one another and exchanging shots, neither of which landed due to the evasive maneuvers both boys took, both assuming the other to be Newtypes.

Pulling his Jaeger for another one hundred and eighty degree turn, Amaury drew his heat hawk with the suit's free hand and boosted back towards his enemy in the same style as before while the Jesta did the same; the two locking blades at full speed as electricity arced from the point of contact. Holding his opponent there for a brief second in the power struggle that ensued, Amaury lifted his machine gun and opened fire on Tegan's head; the Federal officer lifting his forearm to block the shots as the hail of bullets shredded through the thick armor plating, causing the arm to malfunction. His arm faltering, Tegan boosted back and broke their melee deadlock, smashing into the Jaeger's cockpit with his disabled arm at such speed that it knocked Amaury back into the seat; startling him and causing the boy to boost away from his opponent to regroup.

"Scare easy? Well, you should be scared!" Tegan called out to Amaury who scowled and boosted back from Tegan while dumb-firing a third missile from his legs to distract his opponent knowing he would use the dead arm of his Jesta to block the point blank shot. As Amaury anticipated, Tegan blocked the shot with the Jesta's left arm, creating a large explosion and more importantly, an opening for him to boost forward to strike. Seizing his opportunity, the boy boosted forward with his hawk at full speed. "I'll show you scared!" Amaury screamed as the Jaeger appeared through the smoke, his heat hawk lifted in the air to strike his opponent down as Tegan blocked with his remaining beam saber; the two boys clashing together back and forth as they rocketed across the void.

"Is everyone alright so far?" Geoff questioned as he dueled against one of the Jegans, locking his heat rod against the enemy's beam saber and growling out of frustration under his breath. Every one of these hostiles was a skilled opponent, and while the mercenaries may be able to handle the threat, they were surely a real challenge for the fledgling crew of the rebel fleet. Gaining the upper hand on the Jegan he lifted his heat rod at the hilt, tipping the edge of the rod into the Federal's head; severely damaging it's main sensor unit before kicking the unit back away from it a bit.

"Someone talk!" Geoff commanded after what seemed like an eternity of silence, swinging the heat rod and bisecting the Jegan in half; scoring the first kill against the hostile forces. The Rick Dom's eye looking below him, he watched Amaury and Tegan strike against each other as they darted back and forth at high speed, knowing that since the boy tended to fight in relative silence, he was probably okay. "Yeah, we are all good." Marcus replied, hovering his Zakum in place as he fired shot after shot carefully at any hostile that would hold still long enough for him catch a bead on.

"Sorry, a bit tied up here!" Tome called out next as she avoided the burst of a Jegan's beam weapon, firing her own machine gun into the machine as it's thrusters began to dud out, forcing it to fall back to avoid being an easy target; though the girl wasn't having it. "Get back here!" She called out angrily, chasing after her fleeing opponent while her wingman Sam dealt with another unit that also fled in the same direction. "All good here. They are good though!" Sam replied third, Drex laughing as he and Alpha finished off the one armed Jegan from earlier. "They sure are kid!" He continued to laugh as Alpha remained silent. His Ratnik had been knocked out of the fight early by a lucky shot to his sensors by a Jegan's rifle, and he now stood on the edge of his cockpit hatch watching their leader battle against the remaining Jegan; both he and Drex knowing better than to interfere with Aye's prey.

"You know, for a pirate, you are a pretty good fighter." Delacout provoked the mercenary leader, locking their shields together as the two pushed; boosting straight into the other in attempt to get an opening. "Who said I was a pirate?" Aye scoffed, shield bashing against the Jesta and swinging with his axe; the blade getting stuck into the metal substructure of the shield, allowing him to yank the mobile suit towards him and strike with the Jesta's beam saber. Spotting the impending danger Aye shifted his suit in such a way that it appeared almost lifelike and flipped over the Jesta, bashing the suit from once more from behind. Avoiding another strike, Delacout boosted away and turned to face the Ratnik in his sights, it's unusual movement characteristics noted. "I see you too have a Psycommu system. Let's see who's is more advanced, shall we?" Delacout taunted, firing the Jesta's head Vulcans as a distraction to force Aye to raise his shield before ramming into him with his own shield, thrusting with his saber towards the Ratnik; forcing Aye to evade away to save from being cut in half.

Attempting to boost towards the mercenary leader, he stopped as he received a distress beacon from the two Jegan's Sam and Tome chased down. "What's going on?" He asked as the Jegan pilot responded, only the slightest sense of urgency in his voice. "My thrusters are cutting out and we've got two on our tail. Requesting assistance." He replied as he looked up at the scene being described to him, watching the four suits flying in a loop around the battlefield. "Can't you shoot them down? I've got this one on the ropes." He boasted as Aye scoffed. "I wouldn't get too carried away there Feddy." He replied, preparing himself to turn around and face the leader of Cerberus squad.

"No sir, they are too hard to shake, and we are running out of ammunition." The Jegan pilot replied, both he and his partner turning to fire on the two Zakums that followed behind which evaded the incoming fire rather efficiently. "At least one of these two is a Newtype, no doubt about it." He added as Delacout sighed, unsure why he was assisting. Anyone who was part of his division that couldn't defend themselves against a bunch of kids and greenhorns wasn't worth being there. "Fine, hold on." He replied as he dodged Aye's incoming attack with a swipe of his saber; boosting straight towards the four racing mobile suits at full speed as he pulled Aye's blade from his shield and discarded it in space on his flight towards his allies.

"Almost got him!" Tome called out, leading her shot on the wounded Jegan to strike him perfectly in the thrusters. Firing in small bursts, a trick learned from watching Amaury during the battle with Kurin, she landed hit after hit. However, in the heat of the moment, she was struck twice by the enemies partner; the beams melting through the untreated armor and damaging her power distribution. Her leg thrusters shutting down as the suit desperately tried to keep them online, she slowed dramatically, and before she could do anything found herself losing the chase. "You son of a bitch!" She angrily called out as she watched Sam continue off in track of the two hostiles by himself. Frantically she attempted to restart the suit's auxiliary thrusters, but stopped as she received an incoming threat alert, the HUD pointing to her side as it closed in quickly.

"What? Why now of all times?" She questioned as she adjusted the suit to face the threat with what little bit of movement she had left, and as her sensors zoomed in on the approaching enemy, she gasped; the enemy command Jesta was rushing right towards her. "G-Guys, I need help! I need help right now!" Tome called out, drawing the attention of all the allied pilots, particularly both Amaury and Sam, who were in closest proximity to the girl. "No you don't!" Tegan called out, hearing the girl's cry and swinging his remaining beam saber at the boy as Amaury dodged it and grabbed the Jesta's wrist; holding it back as the world ran in slow motion following Tome's scream.

"W-What, how is it possible?!" Tegan stuttered as the Jaeger's mono-eye focusing back on him. Unwilling to waste time killing his opponent, Amaury grabbed the Jesta's head and boosted towards Tome; tearing it clean off of the Jesta's torso as he accelerated to maximum speed against Carina's wishes. "Hold on, we are coming!" Sam called out as he did the same, rushing towards his girlfriend as he watched the girl fire her machine gun; in bursts at first, but the Jesta was quick to evade each shot, causing the girl to panic and fire the weapon automatically until it ran dry. "HELP!" She screamed in fear as the Jesta boosted to a stop in front of her and activated it's beam saber and lifted it over it's head to strike her down. "Nobody can save you!" Delacout screamed at the girl to instill fear as he began to swing; forcing the girl to close her eyes in certain doom while her friends rushed to her at maximum speed, praying they would make it there in time.


	18. Chapter 18: Sacrifice

Noticeably absent from the battle was the Reformation Movement's imposing leader who, despite having lost his GM in the previous battle, was supposed to be manning the helm of the _Bastille_ and acting as fleet command. However, having witnessed and felt the initial strike against his ship, he stood from his seat and rushed down to the hangar; destined to check on his prize. "Where are you going captain?" His first mate asked as Monty looked to him from the corner of his eye without stopping.

"Take over for a moment, I'm going to check the damage." Monty replied as the first mate stood still, confused. They were more than capable of checking the situation from their position on the bridge with all of their instrumentation and radio contact with the flight crews. Why would he be so interested in going to see himself? "Yes sir." The officer replied, watching Monty exit the bridge before turning to order his own damage report; his eyes darting across the sky to keep up with Geoff and Amaury, who now struck against the first enemies in the distance.

Making his way down the central access shaft connected to the bridge, the captain reserved any bit of anger he had allowed to build up inside until he saw the damage done, finding there no reason to fret if it had simply been members of the crew killed; new volunteers signed up for the Movement every day, but a Gundam was a once in a lifetime find. Approaching the nearest airlock into the hangar Monty donned his helmet, noticing the warning that had illuminated on the wall to his right that warned of both a fire on deck as well as a possible air breach, before walking inside.

The hangar being charged with air, smoke and fire billowed from the center of the explosion as their damage control specialists attempted both to quelch the flames and evacuate the wounded from the immediate area. Seeing one of the damage controlman floating by, Monty grabbed him and stopped him from moving away as he looked back at him. "Oh, sorry sir. Can barely see in here with the smoke!" He replied as Monty pointed towards the damage.

"What's the status? Wounded? Killed? Damage to anything serious?" He asked, his voice elevated over the commotion inside of the frantically scene. "We don't know yet on damage; the mobile suits look fine, but the dock that it struck will likely be crippled until the next time we can dry dock. So far we've sent twelve to med-bay, and six to body storage; including Acting Chief Engineer Ishutari, I'm sorry sir." The damage controlman replied before heading back to his job; his arm released from Monty's grasp upon learning of Reo's death.

With Reo dead, he had run out of backup options to construct the Ares, and with how he had acted on top of the girl now under Geoff's authority, he doubted she would transfer once more and work on something intended solely for him. Angrily turning to head back to the bridge, he looked up at the Gundam; what bit of the pale white armor that was finished glowing from the fire below. With no other options, it would appear he would have to resort to his final contingency; only just a matter of time.

Tome's screams still echoing through the their channel, Amaury's eyes locked onto the Jesta before him as it swung its beam saber down towards the girl's Zakum; growling in anger as he pushed the Jaeger well past its limits. He had to make it there in time, unwilling to let his friend die here; not like this. Under the duress of the moment the world continued to move in slow motion, allowing his eyes to dart down to his right as Sam approached the girl at his Zakum's top speed, and it was clear that he was going to reach the girl first; though he was unsure of his plan. Was he going to ram the Jesta off course and away from the girl? That's what the he had planned to do, so it made sense that Sam would attempt the same thing.

Watching the Zakum close the final gap he watched in surprise as Sam reached out and grabbed the Jesta, dragging it away from Tome; using the momentum to slow down and spin himself around to face Delacout. "Get away from her!" He screamed, lifting his 120mm machine gun up to the chest of the Jesta and opening fire; though much to his dismay, the Jesta simply boosted to the side to avoid the fire in a last second maneuver and lifted his own beam weapon to fire on the Zakum. With a gasp, Sam too attempted to jet away and avoid the fire, but Delacout was fast. With an audible smirk, Delacout unloaded a sharp burst into the Zakum, striking it over and over again in the torso as the others watched in horror; the beams shredding through the reinforced metal cockpit like it was nothing.

The world slowing to a crawl in Amaury's mind as his eyes focused forward on Sam's Zakum as the cockpit was riddled with holes; punched right through the armor by the Jesta's advanced beam weapon. Was Sam alive? How could he be? His eyes constricted to pinpoint and his breathing grew shallow as he watched electricity arc from the Zakum before exploding a few moments later; the blue glow lighting up Amaury's cockpit as he remained unable to look away in silent horror. "S-Sam…?" Tome called out to the boy, her voice barely audible through the radio as all eyes locked to the blue cloud; pieces of the boy's machine floating away from the smoke, decimated by the explosion. When the smoke dissipated enough to see, it was clear to that nothing remained of the machine's torso save for a few chunks of the mauled armor plating; Sam had not survived.

"SAM!" Tome cried out in the silence that had crept over them as Amaury ripped past her disabled Zakum at breakneck speed; his vision now locked onto Delacout's Jesta. Screaming out in anger he drew his heat hawk with his free hand as he quickly approached the hostile, who upon sensing the sheer amount of hatred suddenly directed towards him from the young Newtype looked down toward him; not quick enough to dodge the speeding Jaeger as it slammed head long into the Jesta. Correcting his heading from the rough hit that knocked both suits further away from Tome, Delacout eyes shot towards the Jaeger as it performed a nearly impossible turn to redirect itself towards him; discharging his machine gun in the process as he closed the distance.

Judging by the unique mobile suit, Delacout could tell this was the boy his brother was fighting earlier, and grew a tad bit concerned about the circumstances of which he was able to break off and make his way here. "Tegan?" He called, boosting away from the approaching boy who nearly struck him with his melee weapon. This boy's suit was much faster than even their Jestas and defeating him would be a challenge; especially with the way he feverishly chased him for killing what he assumed was his friend.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm out of the fight though, that bastard took of my head!" Tegan replied as his brother calmly laughed and dodged incoming fire from the Jaeger hot on his tail. "Alright, just get back to the _Cerberus_ , I'll handle this." Delacout ordered as he boosted towards Amaury while firing his weapon in an attempt to kill the boy just as he had killed Sam. "Y-You son of a bitch, I-I'm going to kill you!" Amaury screamed, dodging the incoming bolts of electricity from his opponents weapons and coming in close for a strike with his weapon once again; the hawk swinging from the side towards the Jesta, though Delacout blocked the blade with his already damaged shield and held the boy back.

"Angry at the death of your friend, are we?" Delacout asked as Amaury growled through his teeth, lifting and firing his machine gun with his free hand, although his shots were blocked by the shield as it shifted sideways. "He wasn't a very good pilot; you shouldn't take his death too hard." He continued to taunt as Amaury broke his blade free and swung again; the Jesta boosting back away to allow two of his allies to attack Amaury as he moved above them and prepared to fire on the boy with a far more accurate, single-shot mode his beam weapon was capable of. "You're not getting away!" He screamed as he watched the ace fly away, unwilling to allow that to happen. Dodging a rocket fired from one of the Jegans, he boosted at full throttle; racing past the two Jegans to continue his pursuit of the Federation ace.

Unsurprised to see the boy follow, Delacout smirked. He wanted this to happen; to lure the boy into a headlong charge, allowing a straight shot at the center-mass of his suit. Scoffing at the boy's foolish decision, he charged his rifle and locked on to the quickly approaching Jaeger. This fight would be over before the boy even knew what was happening. Holding his breath as he pulled the trigger, the barrel of the rifle illuminated in bright purple for a brief second before a bolt of energy shot forth, streaking through space towards the boy, who at the last second, boosted to the side and evaded the shot.

"Quick little bastard." Delacout mumbled as his eye twitched in annoyance, wasting no time before charging and firing another shot; again dodged by the incoming mobile suit. How was this boy able to time his movements right? Too soon and he would just realign the shot; too late and the boy would suffer severe, if not fatal damage. Could it have been pure luck? Waiting until Amaury drew closer, he charged and fired his third bolt at almost point blank range in hope that he would not dodge such a close range shot.

But when the flash of the weapon disappeared, he was surprised to find that not only had the shot missed, but his beam rifle was now pointed in the air; the Jaeger gripping the barrel and pointing it away while his other hand reared back to strike with his heat hawk once again. Somewhat caught off guard, Delacout swung the shield once more to catch the blade of the hawk, but this time as the blade sunk into the metal Amaury hooked the shield with the edge of his blade and forcefully stripped the shield from the Jesta, throwing it off into space. Ejecting his beam saber from its holster in that instant, Delacout snatched the weapon from the air and activated it, swinging it towards the Jaeger as the machine boosted backwards to evade; snapping the barrel of the beam weapon in half as he did so.

The loss of his primary weapon only a minor inconvenience to the experienced pilot, Delacout tossed the now scrap metal aside and followed the Jaeger up and across the sky as he shot at it's thrusters with the Jesta's head Vulcan cannons in an attempt to damage the exposed thrusters on the back and feet of the enemy mobile suit.

Just as he had observed on the Zaku-based mobile suit, this one also had what appeared to be a reworked version of the Republic of Zeon national flag, confirming his theory that they were not just some merry band of criminals or pirates. "These guys are not just criminals after all boys; feel honored, you are fighting the first traces of a Zeon remnant in fifteen years. How many units do we still have active?" Delacout questioned after his announcement, making sure to watch the boy he chased closely, knowing he was unpredictable and surely dangerous. "Four, including you, sir." One of the remaining Jegan pilots commented as he turned to make sure his brother's disabled suit was on its way back to their ship.

"And them?" He next asked,dodging an incoming rocket from the boy he tailed. "Two that are currently active; two are assisting their disabled comrades back to their ships." The same soldier replied, bringing a grin back to the man's face. "Vector, Shade, continue to keep the others at bay. Mace, you are with me. I am in no mood for games." Delacout ordered as two of his allies headed off to their assigned formation and the third proceeded to make his way towards him for backup. With half of their forces eliminated, he would have to play it smart to achieve their goal; especially with the fleet itself to deal with still. Sensing the incoming additional mobile suit before his alarm could even alert him, Amaury's eyes shifted down to the sensors.

"You fucking coward!" He growled through his teeth; grinding them to such an extent that if he were to think about it, he might fear they would break. But in this moment everything else in the world became dark, and his mind focused on only one thing; claiming the head of the man who took his friend from their world. Aiming down at the two mobile suits who chased after him, he fired the last rocket in his first bazooka's magazine, barely missing both the Jesta and the Jegan that followed him. While the bazooka packed quite the punch it was nearly impossible to hit such quick moving targets, and as he threw the empty launcher to the side and switched to his second, the boy knew he couldn't just waste the rockets in hope they would connect. Drawing his own beam saber with his suit's free hand, Amaury shifted his direction back towards the fleet, contemplating his next actions carefully.

Having also heard Tome's cry for help, Geoff broke contact with the enemy and made his way as fast as he could to assist his subordinate; almost reaching half way there before witnessing Sam's death. Like the rest of the fleet, he froze in horror as the boy sacrificed himself, followed by an overwhelming desire for revenge against the ace. Locking on to the Jesta, Geoff pushed his Rick Dom to its maximum, heading straight towards the hostile pilot before breaking off at the sight of Amaury's assault; the Jaeger smashing at full speed into the enemy suit, sending both of them off in a spiral away from both Sam's final resting place and the disabled girl he was protecting. Surprised at the intensity of his student's hit and the speed at which he chased the ace, Geoff contemplated his actions. Amaury would surely need help, but at the same time he couldn't allow Tome to limp back to the ship unescorted in her suit's condition.

Switching his destination to Tome's side he called to her, knowing the she surely would be a wreck based on the radio traffic he was listening to. "Tome." He called out with no response as he neared the girl, bringing himself to a stop at the Zakum; the suit sitting still in the same 'ready to fire' position her fear had placed her in. "Tome, you need to snap out of it." Geoff instructed, knowing that it was only a matter of time before one of the remaining hostiles caught on to her status. "You need to get back to the carrier; I will escort you, but we need to hurry. Amaury is going to need help." He again called to her as she turned towards the comms panel to her right, her eyes clearly filled with tears.

"I-I know… I-I'm s-sorry…" She replied quietly, her shaky hands making their way back to the controls as she looked back up to what was left of Sam's mobile suit. "Don't apologize, we just need to go." Geoff instructed as he looked out at the remaining Cerberus Division mobile suits, knowing that despite the fact that they still held the numbers, the combined skill and experience of the Cerberus pilots was significantly higher than theirs. "Amaury, are you alright?" Geoff asked as he began to escort Tome back to the ship, turning towards the boy in the distance at first, and then towards another mobile suit as it whizzed past him towards the Jaeger and Jesta's battle.

"Don't worry Geoff, I won't let them take another one of us." Marcus called out to his leader as he identified himself as the suit; unwilling to allow another of his friends to fall at the hands of these wetwork criminals. Looking ahead as Amaury, now tailed by two suits instead of one, he pressed his Zakum to the max to reach his friend quicker and was almost immediately alarmed by his suit of the two Jegan's sent to keep the others away from Delacout's fight. "I don't think so!" Marcus growled as the two suits neared, slowing his pace to aid his aim and firing his anti-ship rifle twice; his goal being to break their formation as he knew they would simply dodge the shots. The results exactly as he had anticipated, he ejected his rifle into space and drew the machine gun on the back of his Zakum, preparing to do what he had to in order to reach Amaury.

"Let's go you fucking dogs!" He taunted, boosting towards them at full speed as both sides opened fire, the rebel knowing well enough to dodge every bolt of energy that he could possibly stand to do. These were not just grunts; they were seasoned veterans and the slightest hit or disadvantage could be his death. "The only dog I see here is you!" One of the Jegan pilots called out, attempting to strike the rebel from the sky with his beam saber; the attack thwarted as the Zakum lifted its feet above the blade and slammed them into the Jegan, knocking him back a ways. As it tumbled back, Marcus locked onto it with Carina's newest edition to the Zakum line; one of the two wire-guided missiles stored in the shoulder armor.

"Game over!" He called out once the lock was acquired, firing the missile from its tube and straight at the Jegan who used his shield to block the blast, though the explosion itself tore both the shield and the arm bearing it from the mobile suit. Caught off guard by this hidden weapon, the Jegan pilot swiftly avoided a burst of fire from the Zakum's machine gun before falling back behind his ally to recoup from the damage.

"These missiles were a great idea, Carina." Marcus called back to the _Warsaw_ in a mellow tone in an attempt to lighten the mood and return things back to how they were before despite the massive black cloud looming overhead with Sam's death, which by now everyone onboard both vessels were are of; many reduced to tears at the loss of the boys upbeat and innocent presence. Hearing her name over the radio, Carina lifted her head from its position placed against the side of the remaining Zakum in an effort made to hide her face as she cried, even if many others in the hangar did so as well.

Sam was gone, and she couldn't believe it. It didn't feel real. Sure, they all understood that any one of them could be killed in the line of duty, and it had happened already with the losses they suffered during Duality, but it had never been someone who was a close friend, and now she had lost several of them in one day. "Thanks Marcus." She replied through her headset, wiping her eyes as the alarm that warned of docking mobile suit sounded, forcing her to close her face shield. No matter how hard she tried to be strong, sitting here waiting for a unit to come in for repairs or reload was killing her.

" _Warsaw_ hangar, this is Geoff. Tome is inbound with a crippled suit. Be prepared." The squad leader instructed, shaking Carina from her thoughts as she watched the hangar doors opening in front of them. So this was Tome coming in? "Alright, we are ready." Carina replied, motioning for the ground crew to prepare as they scattered about. Watching her Zakum limp back towards their ship, she swallowed nervously. Tome had been quite for some time now, which was odd for her. "Tome, can you hear me?" Carina asked as her suit came within reach of the doors and the damage to the legs of the unit became visible. "Y-Yeah Carina, I'm okay..." She replied quietly after a brief delay; the shattered tone in her voice clear to her friend that now impatiently waited for her to land. Noticing the absence of the mercenary mobile suits, Geoff scanned the horizon around them, spotting the _Haakon_ as well as the two remaining mobile suits she carried heading off in the direction they had originally been attacked from.

"Where are you going Aye?" Geoff asked, concerned that maybe their hired guns had suddenly fromes a change of heart. "Don't you worry Captain, we ain't running." Aye replied with a laugh as he looked around the area they were heading into. "Those suits came from and retreated to somewhere, and we are gonna find it." He replied as Geoff sighed at the captain's decision. Freelancing was a dangerous thing to allow to occur on the battlefield, but with more important issues to attend to at the moment, he decided to allow it to slide. "Alright. Report back with what you find." He simply replied, unwilling to argue.

Having escorted Tome's crippled Zakum all the way back to the _Warsaw_ , Geoff continued into the hangar and waited for the machine to come to a rest on its own feet before walking past and collecting a 120mm machine gun from the racks. "You okay, Tome?" He asked quietly, loading a drum of ammunition on to the gun as his Dom's eye focused on the girl, now backing into a docking bay. "Yes. Thank you." Tome responded after a brief delay, her voice still quiet and noticeably shakey. "Alright. Carina, take care of her; I'm returning to the fight." Their leader replied as he turned and made his way towards the catapult, locked himself down and shot out into space, searching for his remaining squad mates.

"Marcus, Amaury; status report." He questioned, unsure which to assist first seeing that they both now fought on a two-to-one disadvantage. "I'm doing good, go-" Marcus began to explain before being cut off as he dodged more incoming fire and fired his second guided missile; though the enemy, now aware of the weapons capability, dodged the missile and used his beam saber to cut the guided wire that followed, causing the missile to fly off wildly into the distance and explode. "Help Marcus first!" Amaury took advantage over the situation to instruct his squad leader to assist his friend; unwilling to allow Marcus to die because Geoff was helping him instead. Huffing in protest, Marcus reloaded his machine gun for the second time and drew the heat hawk from his back, moving into battle the remaining full-strength Jegan.

"Are you sure?" Geoff questioned, watching Amaury lock his beam saber into his the hostile Jesta before dodging out of the way of the Jegan's burst of fire. "I'm sure, I'm okay... I'm going to kill him!" Amaury frantically replied, locking his blade against the shield of the Jegan; blasting the Jegan's shield to pieces with his bazooka to force the enemy back. He felt fine, though he couldn't tell that from his rampant exchanges between the two hostiles his left eye had become heavily bloodshot and blood ran down his face from his nose. Listening to his voice and knowing that he was determined to fight the ace till his last breath, Geoff boosted off towards Marcus to assist in his fight; the sooner he could free Marcus, the sooner they both could help take down what was left of Cerberus Squad.

As Tome's suit came to a rest and was secured in place, Carina made her way over, waiting until the hangar doors shut and air flooded back into the room to open the hatch, since Tome had yet to open it herself. "Tome?" Carina asked as the hatch opened and the girl was revealed; hunched over in her seat crying into her hands as her helmet floated beside her. Hearing the despair in her friend's sobs, Carina stepped inside of the cockpit as Tome's eyes lifted up to her. "C-Carina… he's…" She stuttered as she looked back down to her hands, just as Carina wrapped her arms around her, the hug forcing the tears to flow freely as she did so.

"He's… h-he's gone, C-Carina…" Tome cried as Carina held onto her tightly, doing her best to comfort her. "I know, Tome, I'm sorry… but the boys… they are going to get who did this." Carina replied, her teary eyes closing as she continued to rub Tome's back in a comforting motion. "They better!" Tome choked out into Carina's shoulder as the girl looked towards the hangar doors on the Zakum's screens, knowing that Amaury was battling the pilot who killed Sam and hoping that he would not suffer the same fate. "They will…" She replied softly, doing her best to believe in her Amaury as much as she could. "They will."

Watching the battle unfold at her usual spot aboard the bridge of the _Warsaw_ , Elise too felt the hatred being thrown off by Amaury's feverish chase; causing her eyes to widen as her senses ignited from the sheer intensity of the boy's desire to commit harm against the Federal Ace. She knew the boy was a Newtype since the first time she laid eyes upon him on the _Julieta_ , but she simply pegged him as just another waste of the gift, sense nothing more from him than the average run-of-the-mill Newtype. But now, watching Amaury clash against the leader of Cerberus, she could tell she was wrong; his friend's death seeming to act almost like some kind of awakening. Having trained under some of the most skilled pilots alive, it pained her to admit that his reactions, instincts and psychic presence the boy projected seemed to be closer to the best of them. How could this be?

According to Monty the boy had received barely any training outside simulations and the few combat sorties they had flown out here over the past few weeks, and up until his involvement with the movement he had not even been aware that he was a Newtype. How could he possibly be this in tune with his abilities? Listening to the radio network as her eyes followed the Jaeger's movements across the sky, she looked to Marcus and Geoff's fight against the two intervening Jegans and scoffed. Even with the boy's skill he needed help against someone who called himself the leader of such a feared organization as Cerberus, and yet here his squad leader and wingman were wasting time on two nobodies.

Leaving her position on the bridge, Elise quickly began to descend into the inner workings of the _Warsaw_ , destined for the hangar. She knew that her personal suit would not yet be completed with the speed at which that Carina girl worked, but she remembered from earlier that they still had a single Zakum ready to launch without a pilot. It would be nowhere near as effective as the Crimson Shimmer, but it would have to do as the raw, unformed potential this boy offered could not be squandered.

Pulling her helmet from its hidden location on her way to the hangar, she continued without delay past members of the crew who stared at Elise in confusion; all of which received less than pleased glances from the red-suited woman on a mission. Making her way to the hangar entrance she wasted no time spotting and heading directly towards the idle Zakum, observing the selections of weapons on the wall as she floated across the lane. There wasn't much to choose from in the form of variety or complexity, but she had trained with all types of weapons and could easily make due with whatever was available. As she approached the Zakum, Carina caught a glimpse of the woman's red suit from the corner of her eye; escorting Tome from the hangar having instructed her friend to lay down and rest. There was only one person she knew of in the entire fleet who wore a red suit like that and as far as she knew that woman was not permitted to operate their mobile suits.

"I'll be right back Tome." She instructed to the girl before boosting herself off of the nearest wall towards the Zakum, hoping to catch Elise before she closed the hatch. "Hey!" Carina called out in a stern voice as she approached the open hatch, grabbing it with her hand to bring herself to a stop. "What are you doing?" She asked as she noticed Elise had sat herself in the cockpit seat, strapped herself in and had begun to fire up the machine. "What does it look like I'm doing?" She asked with an annoyed huff as Carina scowled. She did not personally care if she flew the suit or not; she knew she must be somewhat skilled to bring her own suit along, and frankly she had more important things to attend to. What she didn't want was Monty's wrath bearing down on her on top of everything else. "Elise, I don't think you are allowed to operate Reformation suits; did you ask the commander?" She asked as Elise looked up at her with her eyes only, her face remaining pointed down at the controls before her, though Monty was the one to answer that question, having returned to his captain's chair just in time.

"Elise is going out?" He asked with a small chuckle, watching out into space as the boy of everyone's attention lead the two mobile suits towards the fleet. "I'd say that's probably a good idea. Who knows of Amaury can handle his own; we can't afford to lose another pilot, and certainly not another mobile suit." Monty replied as the two girls stared at one another. Not wanting Monty to hear that he was right from her own mouth, Elise disabled her radio and sighed. "He's right you know. You can't risk losing the machine or the pilot; regardless of whether or not it is the man you care so deeply for." The woman spoke in a softened tone, staring in Carina's eyes as the girl looked down.

While she obviously viewed Amaury as much more than just part of their arsenal, she understood where the both of them were coming from. Losing another suit as well as a pilot so close to their goal would be even more detrimental to the cause, and she was unsure if she could handle losing Amaury; the thought alone twisting her stomach into a tight knot. "Alright." Carina replied finally, stepping back towards the exit of the cockpit before turning towards the woman once more. "Just please watch over him." She asked as Elise continued to stare at her, replying only with a silent nod as the girl exited out into the lane, the cockpit hatch closing behind her as the Zakum's reactor roared to a start in the quiet hangar.

Leading his tailing party towards the fleet, Amaury dipped in between the two warships in an attempt to draw both the Jegan and the Jesta into the line of fire of the fleet's point defense weapons; a maneuver that had been instilled into them since day one of training in the space simulation pods. As he intended, the point defense weapons immediately took notice to the oncoming threat and opened fire on the two hostile mobile suits, forcing them to take evasive action; the gunners of both vessels itching for a chance to strike against the enemy. "Damn rat was smart, drawing us into the fleet's defense systems." The Jegan's pilot complained as he followed Delacout through the bursting clouds of flak, focused on not losing track of their target. Normally this type of move was to be avoided, but in keeping formation with their daring leader, he had no choice.

"Just keep on him Mace, we are almost through. Prepare your grenade racks and wait for my signal; time for a surprise of our own." Delacout instructed as Amaury led them back through the gauntlet again, heading for the stern of the _Warsaw_. Nearing the edge of the warship, Amaury turned around to face the two mobile suits as they evaded the incoming flak, instantly firing two shots of his bazooka as well as the three remaining missiles from his legs. Caught off guard by the swift change from evasion to attack, Delacout boosted to the side away from the incoming fire, instructing his partner to launch their trap.

"Now!" Delacout ordered as he shot down the missiles that were locked onto him, but was unable to stop the two rockets he avoided which struck into Mace's Jegan; both rounds penetrating into the torso, causing critical damage, although not in time to stop the two mobile suits from ejecting all of the grenades stored on their hip mounts. As the Jegan's thrust cut out and began to come under attack from the point defense weapons, the grenades activated and flew at high speed towards Amaury, catching the boy by surprise; unaware the hostile suits possessed such weapons atop of their other equipment.

Annoyed by the surprise move, Amaury grunted as he attempted to escape from the ordinance that now flew on a path straight towards him, trying to shoot down the twelve incoming missiles with the Vulcan guns built into his head. Locking onto the first one, he opened fire and destroyed it as well as a second, but the defensive measure had taken too long and as he attempted to target the third missile, the volley detonated around him, blasting the Jaeger with shrapnel and causing a large cloud of disorienting smoke to form around him.

Propelled forward by the explosive yield of the grenade pieces of shrapnel impacted the Jaeger's left side hard, including the armored cockpit, penetrating in a few spots where the armor was thinner by necessity; peppering him with shrapnel, mostly to his left arm. Screaming in pain as a several-inch-long piece of the metal substructure shot into his forearm, Amaury's eyes shifted forward in the smoke as he sensed Delacout approaching.

"I see you, boy!" He called out as he boosted through the smoke and collided with the Jaeger, grabbing and pushing it from the cloud and straight down towards the _Kurin's Pride_ at full throttle. Failing to break free of the Jesta's clutches, Amaury screamed in pain as Delacout slammed him straight into the deck of the destroyed warship and lifted his beam saber to finish him off. "It's over for you!" He called out just as the boy nervously pushed his suit to full throttle and boosted out from harm's way, sliding to a stop on the Jaeger's feet at the base of the shredded command tower.

"N-Not until I f-fucking kill you first!" Amaury growled in pure hatred as he drew both his heat hawk and beam saber at the same time and boosted forward towards his enemy, locking blades with the suit over and over again as the two rippled and crushed the deck below with the magnitude of their strikes. "Anger alone won't win you this battle kid, you need the skill and experience; something you don't have!" Delacout taunted as he pushed Amaury back and prepared to bisect his suit in half as the boy sensed the coming danger and pushed himself back out of the way. "I don't need experience to tear your head off!" Amaury screamed, boosting forward and chopping down with his heat hawk into the Jesta's shoulder; though the ace simply tore away from the boy, boosting backwards and pulling the heat hawk from the Jaeger's hand.

Reaching up and grabbing the blade by the handle, Delacout removed it from his shoulder and thrust it down into the deck below in a sign of opposition as the boy watched on, grinding his teeth in frustration. This battle couldn't last forever and even in his rage induced state the injury to his arm burned and caused him great pain, and although he had previously been unaware of his left eye's burst blood vessels, he now saw the world with a tint of red and a taste of blood in his throat, knowing he had pushed himself past the line Carina had begged him not to. But what else could he do?

Every move that he made Delacout matched perfectly and vice versa; they were deadlocked and it was only a matter of time before the Federal ace figured out some way to break the stalemate. "You shouldn't have come here. You should have just stayed back in the colonies or whatever shit hole you all call home and just lived life happy with what you had, because whatever goal your little revolution here is trying to achieve is only going to end in your death by my hand." Delacout snickered as he spun the beam saber in his hand around, dragging the tip along the deck of the ship as he walked towards the boy. "You and all of your friends; I will enjoy killing every last one of you."

Staring down his opponent as he walked towards him, the boy widened his eyes and ground his teeth even more. "This was all brought on by the bloodlust and greed of people like you… don't you dare talk down to me." Amaury growled, his hands tightening at his controls, no matter how much pain it caused him. "People like me, kid?" Delacout laughed at the boy's words, shaking his head as he prepared to end this fight once and for all; unwilling to waste any more of his precious time one someone who didn't deserve the air.

"People like me are what saved society from destruction years ago. When the world can finally accept that there are those who are meant to rule and those who are meant to serve, then we can finally achieve peace. Sooner or later you and all other colony dwelling spacenoids will see this; it's just a matter of how many more have to die first." The man continued as both he and Amaury suddenly sensed something else approaching. Turning to the _Warsaw_ the boys ears screamed as a bolt of energy shot forth from the open hangar doors.

Unable to dodge the sudden shot completely, the bolt struck the back of Delacout's Jesta as he turned to face the threat, shredding his thrusters to an inoperable state. "What?!" He angrily called out as Elise's voice broke their conversation. "Now Amaury." She called as she launched from the hangar to aid the boy, who had already began to make his move.

While he had not expected the help, the boy understood what she had done; disabling the Jesta's main boosters would greatly reduced his ability to evade, leaving him open for attack. Seizing the moment, Amaury screamed as he boosted forward at full throttle, locking his blade against the Jesta's as he boosted back in short bursts using what thrust his leg and shoulder thrusters could manage; uneasy for the first time in the entire battle.

"Vector, Shade, I need assistance; stop fucking around and get to the _Pride_. My thrusters are down and I've got another Newtype coming for me." Delacout instructed as Amaury continued to relentlessly strike against his adversary, pushing him further and further towards the rift in the deck of the ship where she had split in two. "Vector, Shade, what are you two doing?!" Delacout frantically asked as Amaury cut the Jesta's shoulder from its body, losing his Jaeger's forearm in the process as Delacout struck back; though the boy simply reached down and grabbed the heat hawk from the deck of the _Pride_ as he passed and kept striking against the ace. "Vect-" Delacout attempted to call a third time as Marcus interrupted him, looking down on the fight as he drew his own hawk from the chest of Vector's Jegan; the pilot's blood smeared and boiling across the superheated blade.

"Your boy isn't coming." He replied as Geoff looked up at the remaining Jegan pilot, hastily retreating into the distance away from combat. "Yeah, neither is the other. You are all alone." Geoff taunted with a small sinister chuckle, forcing Delacout now to panic, his breath stuttering at the realization that he now was surrounded and with nobody to come to his aid. Locking his blade against the Jaeger's hawk once more, he stared the boy down as he too ground his teeth together. Would this really be the end? Facing off against a bunch of junk rats in the middle of nowhere? Did everything he worked for in his life really come to this finale? He couldn't surrender; no, he _wouldn't_ surrender, and if this was going to be the end, he was going to end it all in a manner attributed to his family's name. A death worth remembering; and he was taking this boy with him if it was the last thing he did.

"It really looks like the tide has changed." Delacout said with a small chuckle as Elise's Zakum landed behind Amaury, just incase the boy needed to be bailed out, making good to her promise to Carina to watch over him. "I guess it's too late to apologize for killing, Shawn was it?" He questioned with the intent to purposely anger the boy, which it effectively had. "Sam, you bastard… and I'll take your head in turn for his!" Amaury cried out in anger as he broke their deadlock and unleashed his final assault amongst shaking hands and blurred vision, hell-bent on finishing the fight once and for all.

Dodging a swing of the Jesta's beam saber, Amaury ducked down and boosted into the Jesta, knocking it back even further as the suit struggled to correct itself; firing it's head Vulcans in an effort to distract the boy before their belts ran dry, leaving his only weapon as the beam saber. "Damn you kid, never before-" Delacout began as Amaury smashed his cockpit with the stump of the Jaeger's right forearm, denting in the metal in anger. "SHUT UP!" The boy screamed as he sunk the heat hawk into the Jesta's right thigh; severing the connection to the rest of the leg and causing the suit to fall backwards onto it's back.

Now in the most feeble of positions Delacout could sense his impending doom, and in a last ditch effort to slay the boy, swung his beam saber towards the Jaeger's torso. Sensing the move before it was even conducted, Amaury pinned the Jesta's remaining arm and beam saber to the deck of the _Pride_ with the hawk, effectively ending the battle.

Standing over the enemy suit the boy stared down at the battered Jesta, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to catch his breath. The battle was over, but justice had still not been served. With no weapon remaining as his heat hawk was pinning the Jesta 's arm to the deck, he reached forward and grasped the cockpit hatch with his Jaeger's remaining hand and pulled as hard as the suit possibly could in its current state; tearing open the suit to reveal the ace inside, still buckled calmly into his seat.

"Bravo kid, bravo. You've gotten the best of me." The ace laughed and clapped his hands while the Jaeger's mono-eye focused in on him, shining brightly in the now still void of space. Seeing his face only furthered his anger; the smirk across the pilot's lips cementing the boy's hatred as he just knew the same smirk was present as he killed Sam. "So tell me now boy, what are you going to do? Take me prisoner?" He asked as he secretly pressed his keypad to his left, attempting to activate the Jesta's self destruct protocol without being seen. If he could arm the sequence and delay the boy's escape, the reactor's explosion would surely kill them both, and he will have received the death he wished for.

"I can tell you I won't come easy, you'll-" Delacout began to delay the boy, almost finishing the arming sequence before Amaury pulled the Jaeger's fist back and without hesitation smashed the cockpit in, flattening both it and the pilot inside against the reactor at the back of the mobile suit as blood sprayed out into space from around the machine's fist.

Surprised by the violent manner in which Amaury chose to end to his opponent, Elise's eyes widened a bit more as the boy's desires fluctuated again and then ceased back to normal levels. "Are you injured?" She asked Amaury as his trembling hands retracted his suit's bloodied fist from the remains of the cockpit; his eyes remaining focused on the pilot's remains as he did so. Was he okay?

Looking down at his hands as well as the droplets of blood that floated through the cockpit, his attention turned to his left forearm for the first time; spotting the jagged piece of metal that stuck into his flesh a good inch or two between the radius and ulna. He had felt the injury when it occurred, but in the heat of the moment had paid little attention. "I…" He began as he touched the metal and immediately stopped at the sudden pain that shot through his arm as he gasped. His adrenaline had to be what was keeping him fighting because now as it wore off every little move was almost unbearable. His eyes following his arm up towards his shoulder, it was clear that there were other smaller pieces of metal stuck into his skin, though none were as severe as the first.

Opening his mouth to again report his injury he was stopped once more, this time cut off unintentionally by Drex as he called back to the fleet. "Geoff, Monty. If you can hear us through the interference, their ship is fleeing. What are your orders?" He called out with his broken radio just as Geoff and Marcus came to the _Pride_ , hovering off of the side of the ship as Amaury stood the Jaeger back up straight. Looking down at the dead ace and the damage done to Amaury's Jaeger, as well as that done to both his Dom and Marcus's Zakum, he shook his head.

"Negative, bring your ship back this way. They won't beat us back to the colonies, and even if they don't know our plans. There is no need to risk losing anyone else." Geoff instructed as he landed on the deck next to Amaury and looked down to the blood smeared cockpit of the Jesta, then to the Jaeger's hand. He used the suit's fist to crush the pilot? He was angry over Sam's death just like the rest of the crew, but he never suspected the boy was capable of such brutality. "You alright?" He asked as he noticed the holes punched into the Jaeger's torso, likely from the swarm of self-propelled grenades launched from the Jegan and Jesta near the end of the battle. "Yeah." Amaury replied, his eyes focusing back down the the destroyed Jesta as he subconsciously nodded.

"Alright, head back to the ship. You too Marcus." Geoff instructed the two pilots, and a moment or two later Amaury slowly took off from the deck of the _Kurin's Pride_ , his arm greatly hindering his ability to pilot as he quietly grunted in pain. Turning his attention to the woman on his right, Geoff sighed in relief that the battle was over. "Thank you for helping him." The squad leader called out to the woman, having witnessed what she had done, receiving no reply although he never expected one. After a moment he headed off towards the crew of the _Haakon_ to see what exactly they had to report, leaving Elise to look down at the ravaged Jesta, recalling the boy's fight; self-justifying her choice to save him.

Knowing that battle was over and that they had been victorious once again, Carina impatiently waited for the remaining deployed pilots to return with a heavy heart. The cost this battle had taken on their crews was clear and present, the war was now on and more real than ever and although Amaury had survived she was afraid to see just what kind of shape he would come back in. "Come on, come on… what's taking so long?" She asked herself quietly as she stood staring at the hangar doors, seconds turning into minutes and hours in her mind.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened, revealing the Jaeger followed by the Zakum approaching the deck. Seeing the suit fly on its own brought a smile to her face knowing was alright, though that smile quickly faded as she caught a glimpse of the damage done to the side of the mobile suit, and as the Jaeger's feet touched down to the deck and started walking it was evident that something wasn't right. "Amaury are you okay?" Carina called to the boy, floating alongside the suit as it slowly made its way to an open docking bay, forcing the boy to look to her with the suit's eye.

"Y-Yeah, just please keep back." He warned out of concern that his trembling hands could cause the suit to jerk, immediately raising the girls suspicion that he was injured. As the boy wished, Carina moved away from the suit as it backed into its bay without incident; immediately making her way to the cockpit as the hatch unsealed and slowly opened amongst the sound of the hangar doors coming to a close. "Hey! Are you…" She began to ask as the boy floated forward from the cockpit holding his arm; her eyes immediately focused on the large piece of metal protruding from his body.

"O-Oh no." Carina gasped as she flew towards him, immediately reaching for his arm though the boy moved it away from her. "I'm alright, don't worry." Amaury replied as he tilted his head down, not wanting her to see what he had done to his eyes. "Alright? Amaury, you are covered in shrapnel... and this big one is really bad." She replied softly, reaching out and taking his arm gently in her hands; the boy allowing her to do so despite the pain that came with it. From where she was now standing she could see that his face mask was speckled with blood and that his left eye had completely turned red, causing her heart to sink.

"We need to get you to the med-bay." She instructed as the boy shook his head, pulling his arm from her hands and looking to his side as Marcus opened the hatch on his Zakum, now docked in the bay next to them; watching the two silently. "N-No, Carina I'm fine. I'll just pull it out and wrap it up." Amaury again tried to play off the injury as Carina grew impatient. Why was he fighting her on this? Why did he not want help?

"Amaury." She called his name again as she pulled her helmet off and gently pushed him back against a piece of the metal scaffolding so that he had not choice but to listen to what she had to say. Staring into his shielded eyes, she slowly reached up and pulled the helmet from his head, revealing just how bad his left eye had become as well as the fact that he had a bloody nose, concerning her even further. Without the helmet it was clear that the boy was in some sort of daze, his eyes remaining locked forward.

"I'm fine." He again stated as Carina frowned and shook her head, the displeasure evident on her face. "Amaury, no you are not! Why are you saying that? Why won't you let me help you?" She questioned, moving so that she was directly in his line of sight; his eyes clicking onto her as she did so. He could see that she was upset and concerned for his well being, but just as he had froze during the battle against Kurin's gang he found himself unable to respond correctly, stuck in some kind of cloud within his mind.

"I-I…" He tried to reply as Carina's eyes teared up, the stress from the battle boiling over now at his defiance. "You need to stop!" She began with a shout as she continued to stare at him, moving a step closer and taking his injured arm in her hands once again. "Please let me help you! You are hurt and not acting right, you are scaring me! Please... please just stop before you bleed to death or something, I-I can't lose anyone else today, especially not you… please!" She pleaded over and over as Amaury stared into the same green eyes that had captivated him so many times before; his heart racing in his chest as his face softened and his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm s-sorry." He finally spoke as he slowly began to break down; his trembling right hand clenching into a fist as the whole battle rushed back to him, Sam's death replaying over and over. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean t-to… I just… Sam…" He stuttered as he choked back tears, recalling the boy's smile and laugh as if he was right there in the room with them. How could this have happened? How could one of his closest friends just be gone?

"C-Carina…" The boy sobbed as she shook her head, fighting back her own tears as she reached up with her left hand and gently pulled his head down to her shoulder; cradling it there while carefully supporting his arm to prevent any further injury. "It's okay." She whispered as the boy held onto her back with his good hand, crying into her shoulder as she gently ran her hand across his hair and rested her head against his.

Never before had she seen him cry and now listening to him quietly sob she could feel her stomach twisting and heart breaking, wishing to never hear it again. She knew that nothing she could do would make this go away, but that wouldn't stop her from trying to alleviate some of the pain that had built up in her love's heart. Despite this she didn't want to wait too much longer before taking him to the med-bay because of the severity of his arm injury, but once he was taken care of, she would give him all of the time in the world; time she was more than willing to spend at his side repairing what had been done.

"Amaury?" Carina whispered after another minute or two, intending to ask if he would go to the med-bay now though he answered the question with a nod before it was asked, and carefully the two set off; the girl still gently supporting his arm as they floated away from the battered Jaeger.


	19. Chapter 19: One Step Forward

Feeling Carina tug on his good arm as she wiped her eyes, Amaury returned back from the trance he had been stuck in over the last few minutes as he stared down at Sam's empty coffin in front of him. It was just one of eight lined up in a row along the deck of the _Bastille_ 's hangar, different only in the fact that it contained no remains as his body had been disintegrated by his Zakum's reactor explosion; the moment playing over and over again in Amaury's mind, making it hard for the boy to even sleep. The whole crew had been given time to come and pay respect to their fallen comrades, both those lost during this fight as well as Operation Duality, since there had been no time to do so before; their names inscribed on the last casket as their bodies had been sent back to Dresden aboard the _Tortuga_.

The reality of Sam's death was still so foreign and unreal to his friends and Amaury was no different, expecting any moment for him to simply loft into the room in the room and crack a joke or do something that would make everyone laugh, only to be let down over and over again as time went on. "I can't believe they are gone." Carina spoke softly as she looked up at Amaury, his unbandaged eye bloodshot from the tears he had shed over the last thirty or so hours. Replying only with a nod, his vision shifted from the coffin to his left arm as it lay slung across his abdomen, then to the girl to his right as she tried to smile, only to frown once more before leaning her head against his arm. To his left Marcus stood with his right hand in his pocket and his left arm wrapped around Tome's shoulder as she quietly cried, her sobs drowned out by the several others who also wept amongst the small crowd.

"Things won't be the same around here without Sam, that's for sure." Marcus commented before looking down at Tome, then to Amaury and Carina. He had known Sam for quite some time, even before joining the Movement, though he was doing his absolute best to ensure that he did not show just how heavy his loss weighed on his heart. Taking a deep breath he turned his attention back to the casket before him, placing his free hand on the cold metal. "But at the same time I know he wouldn't want us just sitting around mourning. He would want things to be normal again and for us to carry on with our mission." Marcus continued, lifting his hand from the metal as Tome looked down in thought and then after a moment more she nodded, trying her best to stop crying. Marcus was right; Sam would never have wanted their group of friends to become so overwhelmed by his death that they lost sight of what they had worked so hard to achieve. No matter how she felt inside, they had to keep going.

"I know." Tome replied, wiping her eyes amongst a few rogue sobs that escaped her lips. "H-He believed so deeply in the Movement, in the liberation of our people; if we let that fall by the wayside, all of their deaths would have been for nothing. We have to keep going." She added as she turned to her friends, gently guiding Marcus' arm back down to his side with a smile, grateful for his comforting notion. "We should be preparing for our attack. Repairing our suits, loading ammunition, rehearsing the plan… whatever needs to be done." Marcus added with a grin at the girl's rejuvenated fighting spirit as Amaury's eye looked over to the two of them.

Somewhat surprised by their words as the boy thought for sure that Tome's spirit had been broken, he was a bit confused. How could things ever go back to normal? Without Sam it wasn't normal and the whole atmosphere aboard the _Warsaw_ seemed to have shifted with his loss. Silently he remained staring at them with a blank expression before his eye shifted past his friends to the Ares Gundam in the distance; it's construction halted by Reo's death, making it clear that it would not be fully operational by the time of the liberation of Side 3.

"There is a lot." Carina replied, bringing Amaury's eye towards her as she stood thinking over just all that had to be done. Both their mobile suits and those belonging to their mercenary allies had to be repaired, their ammunition supply distributed, loaded into magazines and organized for easy allocation in the upcoming fight and Elise's suit still had yet to be fully constructed; it may not seem like a lot, but with less than a week to do so, the amount of work was atrocious, especially since all work was now being done out of the _Warsaw_ while the damage to the _Bastille_ 's hangar and catapult was being repaired.

"There is… a lot." She repeated as she rubbed the back of her neck, tugging slightly on his arm once more. Sam's death had left him in a sort of daze that he couldn't explain, one where every little motion and feeling seemed to be amplified ten fold; the slightest nudge able to draw some kind of response from the boy, besides words, and although he knew it was impossible, he swore that he could feel the sadness all around him. "Well, we should get to it then, right?" Marcus asked with a small grin as he turned to Tome, her small smile and nod meaning that she too felt the same. "Alright!" Marcus grinned, turning towards Amaury and Carina to question their thoughts in the matter. "You guys up to it?" He inquired as Carina looked up to him, then back to Amaury, unsure if she be working on anything in his condition. If he was going to be in good enough shape to fly at Side 3 he needed every bit of rest and recover he could get; especially since Marcus had told her the boy had not slept the night before.

Looking into his unbandaged eye she frowned, unsure what to do. She didn't want to seem like she was trying to control his actions, but at the same time she knew him well enough to understand that he would not just sit idle as his friends worked to prepare for the war. "Well, of course I am. I have to be there, remember?" Carina replied with a small smile, gently squeezing Amaury's hand as she looked down at his injured arm; the slight red discoloration in the bandages showing they were in need of changing already.

"But I don't think you should… I mean, it's your choice, I just don't want you to get hurt." She warned as Amaury's stare softened a little into a slight smile, grateful that she cared so much about his well being. "I have to." The boy replied quietly, his first words to anyone besides Carina since the conclusion of the previous day's battle. "I know you'll keep an eye on me." He added, looking back to Carina as she smiled just a bit more with a slight blush, squeezing his hand once more. He was right about that; she was going to watch everything he did, and if he started pushing himself she would be right there to tell him about it.

"You're damn right I will." She replied quietly, looking back towards their friends with a small grin. "I'm going to change Amaury's bandages and then we will meet you in the hangar, alright?" She asked as Marcus started to drift away from the caskets after gently patting the lid of Sam's. "Sounds like a plan, see you guys there." He called as Tome remained still, intending to stay just a few minutes more. "Are you okay Tome?" Carina asked as the girl nodded and smiled to her friend.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just... need another minute." She replied as she hugged Carina tightly for a moment before looking to Amaury with a smile. By now she was aware that it was him who had brought Sam's killer to justice, and if it had not been for his injuries, he too would be squeezed to death by her hug. Silently the mouthed the words 'thank you' to which the boy nodded and followed Carina from the hangar towards the _Warsaw._

Because of the state of the fleet, the ships were currently docked alongside one another, making it easy for the crews to pass in between the two vessels; though once aboard the _Warsaw_ , the two turned towards his bunk room rather than the medical wing. Before the boy was discharged from the Med-Bay the night before, Carina asked the lead medical technician how to dress and clean his wounds both help the overburdened medical staff as well as to better care for Amaury. It was simple enough, just cleaning and wrapping in fresh bandages, as well as inspecting the staples in his arm to ensure they didn't break free early.

He was lucky really as another inch or so to either side and the metal could have struck one of the major arteries, causing him to bleed worse than he already did, possibly killing him. As Amaury lead the way to the bunkroom and stepped inside Carina stopped, spotting the bunk where Sam once slept, determining it to be his based solely on the fact that it had been left undone. "Is that Sam's?" She asked to confirm her suspicions as Amaury sat at the edge of his bunk and nodded, looking with his eye at where she was looking. "Yeah, we decided to leave it be. At least for now." He replied as he looked down at his arm and carefully slipped it free of the sling. Fighting back oncoming tears once more, Carina wiped her eyes as she walked to the side of Amaury's bunk and picked up the pouch of medical supplies Amaury had brought with him from the Med-Bay to treat his wounds.

She wasn't sure entirely why the sight of the empty bed caused her to tear up again, but she couldn't allow it to continue to happen, lest his death consume her. Watching as Amaury untied the bandage from around his forearm, she noticed that the further down he got to the wound through the layers of the wrap the more heavily saturated in blood they became, until he finally reached the injury itself, the color of the staples sticking out against the damaged flesh. "Is it supposed to keep bleeding?" Amaury asked, having never really received and injury like this before, to which Carina nodded a bit.

"It will for a bit longer." She replied, having been told that some blood seeping from the site would be normal. Taking a fresh rag from it's package, she wet it down a bit with cleaning solution and moved to clean the area around the staples, causing Amaury's arm to flinch as he swallowed nervously. He remembered vividly just how much this burned the day before, and he was not overly happy that it needed to keep happening. Frowning at the sight of the boy's discomfort, she pulled a towel from the bag and placed it over her lap, followed by his arm as she gently guided it with her hand.

"I know it hurts, but I will try to be as gentle as possible." Carina softly said while rubbing the top of his hand with her thumb as he nodded, relaxing a bit despite his racing heart at the girls touch. "I trust you." He replied as she began to slowly wipe at the staples in a small circular motion, making sure to clean them as well as possible to avoid infection.

"How did you sleep last night?" She asked, trying to make small talk as the boy winced at the burning of the cleaning agent on his wound. "N-Not good." He replied, his eye turning from his burning arm to her sincere and apologetic smile, now turning into a frown. "Are you sure you are up to working today then?" She asked as she made her way to the last staple along the roughly five inch wound, cleaning it carefully before setting the rag down on the towel and grabbing a gauze pad as well as wrapping material. "I'll be okay. There is a lot to get done, and if I'm not there who will make sure you don't over do it?" He questioned with a small blushing smile, playing off of their conversation earlier.

Returning the same emotion back, Carina gently poked his nose before pulling the same eye solution he had used before from the bag and set it next to him, know he hated this as well. "I don't think you are in any position to tell anyone they are overdoing it." She joked, gently cupping the left side of his face in her hand; her thumb gently rubbing by his eye. Closing his remaining eye at the touch of her hand, he lifted his right hand up and placed it atop hers, taking a deep breath in the calm of the moment.

"I didn't mean to push myself too far. I'm sorry." He whispered as she shook her head, using her other hand now to unwrap his eye as she continued to hold his cheek. She knew he pushed himself to both save Tome and avenge Sam's death, and she couldn't be mad at him for it, no matter how upset his current condition made her feel inside. "Stop apologizing." She replied with a gently smile, knowing it was not his intention to purposely hurt himself. As she sat his head wrap to the side, she swallowed nervously before leaning forward and kissing his forehead in a sign of both compassion and concern.

I'm s-sorry." He instinctively repeated again as both of their faces darkened, his mind frazzled once more by the girl's kiss. Why did such a simple, common thing continue to throw him for a loop? "What did I just say?" She questioned with a small giggle, playfully hitting his uninjured shoulder before returning her attention to his eye. Smiling as he looked down at the bottle in her hand with both eyes he slowly let go of her hand so that she could easily manipulate the bottle and administer the solution to his eyes.

"I know." The boy replied and held his breath as she stood in front of him and began to run the solution into his eyes gently, wiping it from his face with a towel as it ran down his cheeks. Knowing the boy's eyes surely burned, she again attempted to draw a distracting conversation from him, although this time the questions had a bit more meaning. "Amaury, can I ask you something personal?" She asked, setting the bottle on the bed next to him and pulled a fresh gauze pad and bandage from the pouch; immediately wrapping his eye to try and lock some of the solution in his eye before his blinking flushed it all out.

Trying his best not to move his eyes or head, the boy hummed a questioning sound so that she knew it was alright to ask, to which Carina stopped and thought about what exactly she wanted to ask and the correct way to do so. The question itself had been something that had lingered on her mind since she called off her relationship with Monty and even more so now, brought on by their heavy dose of the reality of war. "What, er… what are your plans for the future? A-After all of this, I mean." She asked quietly, her blush still visible across her face as she continued to carefully wrap his head, doing her best not to catch his hair between the layers of gauze.

As her question set in, his unbandaged eye shifted to the girl, watching her face darken as he thought over what she had asked. After all this? What exactly did she mean? "After the war?" He questioned in reply as she nodded, biting the inside of her lip. Was this question too personal to ask so soon? To her it felt alright to ask, but maybe it was too soon for him. "I've never really thought about it to be honest. Well, not until recently." He replied as her eyes shifted to meet his, a bit upset at the first half of his reply, though she wasn't sure why; the feeling disappearing as he mentioned how his thoughts had changes recently. "What do you mean?" She couldn't help questioning as her mind feverishly went over what exactly he meant by this. Was it because of Sam? Or was it because of their relationship?

Swallowing nervously, Amaury's eye shifted down toward her long dark hair before closing it to focus his thoughts. "I-I mean, before all of this, before the Movement, before you… I lived in the moment, only worrying about my next meal or where I was going to sleep that night. But now… now feeling like I belong, a-and knowing that I have you, I can dream about my future." He replied quietly as he opened his eye slightly and focused on Sam's bed.

"I… I think that once this is all over, once we are free and no longer have to worry about being persecuted for no reason at all, I would… I would like to have a normal life; as normal a life that could be had after all of this." The boy continued, looking down at her feet nervously. Knowing that she would take what was about to be said to heart, he was unsure if it was the right time to reveal what he truly wanted. "I… I would like to have f-family of my own. One that I could watch grow and flourish, and that I could keep safe so that my children would never have to go through everything I did." He admitted, too nervous to look back into Carina's eyes as he was unsure what she would think of his dream.

Still biting her lip as it quivered, she looked down at Amaury, subconsciously pulled one hand to her heart as it raced once she had finished wrapping his eye. He wanted a family with children? And a normal life? These things did seem quite appealing following all of the chaos and mayhem they had been through and would continue to go through, even if she had not really contemplated them before. As far as her future was concerned she had only really thought as far ahead as the end of college and finishing her education. Sure, she had thought about someday meeting a nice man, settling down and starting her own family, but that was so far away that it never really seemed real; though now by Amaury's side, it didn't seem as far fetched as it once did before.

"W-Where…" She subconsciously began to ask, stopping herself as his eye lifted up towards hers. What was she trying to ask? His response had caught her so off guard that she was unsure what exactly she wanted to say, despite knowing exactly what her heart wanted to know; where did she fit into this dream? Was that too bold a question? Sure, they had only been together officially a short period of time, but having this strong connection to him made it feel so much longer than it actually was. He had always been truthful to her, and having already began to ask it would feel weird to lie to him now; especially in such a delicate and personal moment.

Swallowing nervously she too looked down at their feet away from his gaze, nervously folding her hands together at her waist. "D-Does this dream… i-include me?" She asked quietly as her heart pounded in her chest, desperately desiring to know the truth. Would this dream become her reality, or was she just someone for him to use as a placeholder until he found the one actually destined for this? His response delayed by only a moment, his own heart racing and mouth dry as he gripped the edge of the bed with his good hand nervously. Did she want to be?

"O-Of course… it could only be you. N-Nobody else." He admitted in a whisper as the girl's heart nearly burst into flame; the heat rushing over her whole body. It could only be her and nobody else? Did he really mean that? Did she really mean that much to him? "A-Amaury…" She tried to reply, choking on the pounding in her chest as it took the breath from her words. Was her suspicion correct then? Did he really love her just as Elise had that suggested she loved him?

Unable to formulate any words in response to his confession, she did the only thing she felt was right. Gently taking his the back of his neck into her palms with both hands she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, careful not to hurt him as she did so.

The boy's eye immediately directing towards Carina as he stared in shock and the world slowed down around them; his heart beating out of his chest as both hands shook. She was kissing him? Did she understand what this meant to him? Of course she did, or she wouldn't be doing it; she knew that he had never kissed anyone before.

Slowly his eyes closed as he moved into her kiss, held there by her hands as he mimicked her lip's movements; the moment seeming to last forever in the boys mind. Breaking the kiss a few seconds later, Carina pressed her forehead to his as she took a breath, smiling at the fact that she had kissed him; something she had desired to do for some time now.

"It's a good plan." She quietly whispered, their eyes opening and meeting instantly as both their faces flushed cherry red; the boy surprised by her words. A good plan? So she was happy with what he wished for in the future? "Do y-you really think so?" He asked nervously, his breath still shaky from the sudden kiss.

"Yes." She simply replied, kissing him briefly once more before letting go of his head and stepping back, her left hand running down his right arm to his hand. She was truly happy with his plan for the future and someday when they were free of the Federation and hardship she would be more than willing to give him the family he desired; their family. Most people would scoff at the rate of which they had grown close, seeing it to be against the norm for two lovers to make such plans, but she didn't care.

Amaury wasn't normal and neither was their relationship, and while it was far from the present, that vision of their future made her happier than she could ever explain and gave her something to fight for. Smiling to _her_ Amaury, she let go of his hand and picked up the fresh bandage roll for his arm. "Let's get you wrapped back up; we've got work to do." She joked as the boy smiled and nodded. "Yes ma'am."

His wounds bandaged up the two set out for the hangar to meet Tome and Marcus hand in hand, floating to a stop just inside of the entranceway at the sight of all of the mobile suits in the hangar at once; almost every bay filled. "There really is a lot of work." Amaury teased quietly as he looked around, focusing on his Jaeger as the holes in the torso we're being repaired and a new forearm fitted in replace of the one severed during the battle with Delacout.

"I told you there was." Carina rolled her eyes playfully, dragging him carefully towards the Jaeger, the two looking out towards the end of the mobile suit lane opposite of the hangar doors where Elise's suit was being constructed slowly; its apple red paint standing out against the metal hangar walls.

Although it was not finished, it was easy to see that it was not a normal mobile suit and would not fit into the standard docking bays on either ship. Its legs were replaced with what appeared to be propellant tanks, more of which appeared across its back, likely to fuel the many thrusters located across its body including the massive unit on its back.

"Is that the Scarlet Glint?" Amaury asked, his eye focusing in on the open cockpit as Elise climbed out and began instructing several of the mechanics on the next step to take in the Glint's construction. "Yeah, it is." Carina replied, spotting Elise as well. She had been meaning to thank her in person for both her advice as well as helping Amaury, though she wasn't entirely sure how to go about it. "It… has no legs." Amaury replied, having not seen a mobile suit without typical features before as Carina laughed; not so much because it was funny, more so because of the way in which he said it.

"Yeah I know. As far as I can tell, its some kind of hybrid suit designed to be an interceptor of sorts, complete with its own arsenal. The beam weapon she used to shoot that bastard yesterday? That was hers." She stated as the two stared at her, their eyes catching her attention even at this distance. "I think I need to speak with her." Carina added as she began to drift towards the woman, carefully tugging Amaury along with her. "Come with me?" She asked with a smile as Amaury grinned as well, pushing off with his own feet to follow as he replied. "Of course." He hummed, floating next to her as they released their hands in the hangar full of people.

Seeing the woman prepare to return to her cockpit as they approached, Carina called out to her. "Wait, Elise!" She yelled as the woman sighed, just about to step inside of the Glint. Why did these two feel the need to interrupt her work? "Yes, what is it?" She sternly asked, clearly not in the mood for idle chatter as the two lovers came to a stop at the suit's hatch. "I realized that I never got the chance to thank you; for your advice as well as helping Amaury out there, and I'm sorry." Carina began as the woman's eyes narrowed on her and then switched to Amaury, noticing the boy's opposite eye was now wrapped up as well as his forearm. She knew he was injured during his challenging fight with Cerberus Division, but was unsure just how badly.

Given the grave price paid by many of his comrades and the intensity of the fighting, it seemed he made out somewhat well. "Don't thank me." Elise replied, looking back to Carina as she did so. "But I have to. You've made it clear that you have no intention of helping or befriending us, but yet you went out there and risked your life to help Amaury." Carina replied as Amaury nodded, turning his attention away from the Psycommu system inside of the Glint's cockpit. If it hadn't been for her he may not have been able to defeat Delacout, as much as he hated to admit it.

"She's right. You didn't have to help me but you did anyway. So, thank you." Amaury said calmly, looking down at the black boots Elise wore attached to her flight suit. Her attention remaining on Amaury, Elise sighed again, brushing a strand of her long blonde hair from her face as she did so. "I only helped because it would be a waste of your potential if you were killed because of the incompetence of your teammates." She replied finally, remembering how both the boy named Marcus as well as their squad leader Geoff insisted on handling the minor threats instead of assisting Amaury.

"Both of them should have been able to easily dispatch their two opponents and return to your side, but because they did not I had no choice but to act." Elise continued as Amaury's head tilted to the side. He had become used to this woman's snarky attitude, so her criticism of his teammates did little but agitate him; what he was most curious about was her mention of his potential.

"Potential?" Amaury questioned, as Carina looked to him, preparing for him to be scolded one again. "Yes, potential. You still don't get it do you? You are a Newtype; one who possesses a great gift, something that is even more evident in you. When I sensed you-" Elise continued, though the brave boy interrupted her instantly at the mention of how she could sense him.

"What do you mean by sensed me?" He interjected as Elise scowled, not a fan of being interrupted in the least bit. "Newtypes can sense one another and sometimes the emotions of another. When that man killed your friend I could instantly feel your hatred and rage; haven't you noticed how you can sometimes sense the hostile actions of your enemies? I know you have." She questioned as Amaury looked back down at her feet, recalling the three battles he had been a part of so far.

She was right. On more than a few occasions he swore he could feel the intentions of his enemies to do him harm; the pilot of the Guncannon during Duality, several of Lord Kurin's pirates and most recently Delacout, dodging his beam rifle fire as he felt the trigger being pulled and matching his blade's strikes over and over. "Y-Yeah, but-" Amaury began to explain, thought Elise cut him off this time. "When we first met on the bridge of the _Julieta_ I know you sensed my presence. Surely you've sensed others. Pressure behind your temples? Tingling in your fingers, toes? Ringing in your ears? Every Newtype can sense one another differently, though sometimes it takes a while for a person to gain the use of this ability." Elise began, the boy's eye lighting up immediately at the mention of his ears.

"Ringing…" He replied as he looked back down at the floor of the cockpit, thinking back on all of the times that his ears had rung over the past few months. So each time meant he was near a Newtype? Surely that meant that Monty must be one; and at least either Marcus or Sam, maybe even Tome.

But then it dawned on him, causing him to lift up his head and turn to Carina; he was able to find her on Heaven's End because of his ears, and if only Newtype could find each other this way, that meant Carina was one as well! "Yes, even her. She is a Newtype." Elise replied before he could even ask, seeing his eyes drift towards his lover.

At Elise's words, Carina looked back towards Amaury as he stared at her, then back to the woman before them. "W-Wait, what? Me?" Carina asked with wide eyes as Elise nodded, crossing her arms. "Yes Carina, you are a Newtype as well. How could you not be aware?" She replied with a sigh. Monty did not do a very well educating these pilots he had assembled, even despite the cat that he had found an abnormal amount of Newtypes.

"H-How can that be? I can't sense people or actions… I-I'm not even a pilot." Carina stated in response, rubbing her arm nervously. How could she be a Newtype? It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Newtypes, she just couldn't believe that she had spent her entire life without having had some kind of sign. "Newtypes don't necessarily have to be pilots or even be capable of piloting, but like it or not you are a Newtype." Elise sternly replied, turning back to Amaury as the boy nodded slowly.

"I… I did sense it Carina, when we were on Heaven's End… that's how I found you that night." Amaury admitted so that she didn't think Elise was lying, causing Carina to look down at her feet. "So I'm a Newtype." She repeated to herself as she looked up Amaury, smiling at the sight of the boy's own as he reached out and took her hand in his; unsure if she was upset or not. Seeing their hands interlock caused Elise to roll her eyes once more and take a deep breath, resisting the urge to gag at such a display of public affection, though she soon had another disgusted feeling come over her, looking up as the leader of the mercenaries approached from the catwalk above. "Talking about Newtypes, eh?" He asked loudly as he grabbed onto the Glint's top hatch to slow himself down, angering the woman at his touching of her machine.

"Yeah, just… discussing things." Carina replied as she looked up to the man, surprised by his appearance, though she assumed he would be around due to his machines being worked on in the hangar. "Never much believed in those old rumors myself; I've always lived by the motto that a man creates his own fate, as opposed to born into it." Aye stated with a light chuckle as his attention turned towards Amaury, noticing that he and Carina held hands as well as his battle scars. "Though watching you out there yesterday could change my mind about that. I don't think we've ever been properly introduced, though I've met your significant other here. I'm Aye, and I'm sorry to hear about your friend." He replied holding out his hand to shake Amaury's, shaking with only a moderate stroke as to prevent jerking the boy's battered body.

"Amaury." The boy replied, as Aye smiled and turned towards the assembled parts of the Glint, placing his hands on his hips; his eyes focusing inside of the cockpit as Elise stepped in front of the door, not trusting of the man. "Psycommu? Nice, I've got something similar." Aye continued as Amaury's eye shot to the back of the man's neck, noticing what appeared to be a port just below his hairline at his mention of a similar system.

"You have the S.I.C.O.S.?" Amaury asked as Aye winked, finger-gunned and clicked his tongue towards him. "You betcha. Works like a champ too if that's what you are gonna ask." Amaury couldn't deny that he had continued to think about the system, despite Carina's objection to him receiving the surgery. Hearing his question, the girl to grabbed his hand once more and squeezed it to bring his attention to her as she shook her head in objection.

"How typical that a mercenary would attempt to gain a gift through the exploit of his own body." Elise replied to his gloat, her arms still crossed from the conversation before. "That system is a monstrosity; more likely to cause your brain to bleed than to match a Newtype's performance in combat." She continued as she attempted to belittle the smug mercenary whose response was to laugh. "Listen lady, you can have your space voodoo, this is hard science; hard wired into my brain that is." Aye replied as Elise grew impatient at both Aye's defiance as well as how far she felt she was falling behind construction schedule.

"How do you even maintain that thing so far from home? If one thing goes wrong, you could be dead in a matter of minutes… from what I've read." Carina questioned, having briefly skimmed over the immense manual that came with the only S.I.C.O.S. system the fleet had in their inventory. Aye smirked as he nodded to Carina, obviously living up to her reputation as a sharp minded young lady. The system was so new and prone to shortages and malfunctions that typically its users didn't stray far from Heaven's End, explaining why many had never heard of the system before.

"Well Miss Hughes, that's where the perks of being a wealthy and somewhat thrifty private security contractor head comes in handy. I've got one of the very same men who designed the system on-board my ship; our personal doctor as well as maintenance technician on yours truly's S.I.C.O.S." Aye replied as Carina's eyes lit up. "You have a doctor onboard your ship?" She asked as Aye nodded, a bit taken back by the thought that she did not know as much. "Why yes, we do. Do you need to see him? Now young lady, you wouldn't happen to be carrying a little Amaury inside of you, would you?" Aye asked with a chuckle as both she and Amaury froze and grew bright red.

"W-What, NO!" Carina yelled back as Amaury's eye shifted away from everyone, too embarrassed to meet eyes with anyone in the group. "I-I-I'm asking because w-we have wounded to attend to a-and no real doctor." Carina finally replied with a huff as Aye laughed loudly, wiping tears of laughter from his face as he came to finish. "Oh man, I am sorry but I could not resist that chance." Aye replied as Carina squeezed Amaury's hand, bringing their eyes back together in an awkward gaze; total irony given what they had literally just talked about before coming to the Hangar.

"But yes, I will have Doctor Emerson do rounds at both the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_. He is a bit funny, mind you, so… just a heads up." Aye warned as Carina nodded in appreciation. Having a doctor to care for their wounded would not only increase morale but it would guarantee that even if casualties did occur that they would have adequate medical care for everyone. "Thank you, Captain Aye." She thanked as Marcus and Tome came into view on the other side of the hangar, signaling that it was time to start working.

"Well, we have to return to work. It was nice talking to the both of you." Carina stated to both Aye and Elise, the latter of which had remained silent throughout the entire joke, annoyed that this all had to take place on the door of her mobile suit when they should all be working. "Alright guys, we will be seeing you!" Aye cheered out as the two young lovers turned and headed towards their friends, watching them for a moment or two more before turning towards Elise to speak.

"So, what do you say me and you go out- oh." Aye spoke, not realizing that the second he had turned to watch Amaury and Carina float off, Elise had entered her cockpit and shut the door, locking the boisterous man out; almost losing his fingers in the door in the process. With a sigh he grinned and shook his head, boosting off of the mobile suit towards his Ratnik with a laugh. "She will come around."

"Tegan, I am very sorry for your loss." Cousland's voice called out across the empty bridge of the _Cerberus_ as the young Trevelyn brother held himself up at the communications console; his long red hair hiding the tears that welled up in his eyes. "Thank you sir." Tegan replied, doing whatever he could not to reveal his distressed emotional state to his commanding officer. With his brother gone, he was in charge not only of the _Cerberus_ , but all of the division that comprised, including those still back home in Cordova. He had spent the past year and a half training to take control should this day ever come; though despite feeling confident in his abilities both as a pilot and leader, he wished it wouldn't have.

"Your brother did not die in vain, however. This information was exactly what he and I have spent the past few years looking for; the rebirth of Zeon that I have long warned those thick headed fools at the Naval Administration about. While it might be small, wildfires spread quickly if not extinguished. But at the same time, a fire that doesn't burn enough grass doesn't receive much media attention does it?" Cousland asked, looking down into his whiskey glass as the midday sun filled his cigar-smoke filled office. "What would you like me to do, sir?" Tegan questioned as he raised his head a bit, wiping his eyes while the Admiral wasn't paying attention. "Well, we have to play this by ear; you said that their destination was not confirmed?" Cousland questioned as Tegan shook his head.

"No sir, no destination, no plot, no intent." Tegan replied as Cousland laughed under his breath; having been involved in the efforts against three Neo-Zeon factions and several remnants thus far, he was pretty confident that they would be planning to strike similar targets as the opening scene of the same repeating play. "Their first target will likely be something military; something to draw the Federation out to play. Maybe Konpei island again? I'm not sure." Cousland rambled, rotating the liquid in his glass round and round as he did so. Growing impatient at the silence around him, Tegan spoke up again. "Sir, what would you like me to do? I can go after them, lure them into a battle, and then-" Tegan began as Cousland looked back to him through the camera, silencing the boy.

"With what, your three remaining mobile suits?" He asked as Tegan grunted in displeasure, sensing Cousland's dissatisfaction with the division's performance. "No, we have to prepare first. What is your nearest Federal facility?" Cousland asked as Tegan looked to his side at the holographic map in the center of the room. "The Fort Page satellite dockyards at Side 3." He answered as Cousland rubbed his beard with his free hand, formulating a plan in his mind. "Excellent. Set course for Fort Page and I will meet you there in three days' time. Understood?" The admiral commanded as Tegan stood and saluted. "Yes sir!" He called out as his commander saluted back and terminated the call, leaving the boy alone in the large open bridge.

Retaining his pose well after the conclusion of Cousland's transmission, Tegan scowled; his vision locked on the black screen in anger. This was not how he wanted to take over control of Cerberus. He was to eventually take over as his brother retired, ushered in with honor and dignity; not with Cerberus' first defeat in nearly sixteen years. Grinding his teeth in anger, Tegan kicked the chair next to him across the room, slamming into the nearest console under the burden of artificial gravity. How could this have happened? How could they be defeated by a bunch of unskilled, untrained criminals? And that boy, Amaury… how could he defeat Delacout? He had been a pilot for nearly a decade and flew nearly a hundred sorties against a variety of threats; how could that young Newtype get the best of him?

The very thought of it made him sick, having witnessed it all as he was towed back to the _Cerberus_. Than boy, that… demon. He tore open the cockpit and crushed him like he was nothing; killing his brother in such a dishonorable, horrific fashion. He couldn't be human. "I will get you." Tegan growled, tears returning to his eyes and rolling down his cheeks as he tightened his fists together in hatred of the boy who took his brother from him. How would he explain to their elderly mother? To their brothers and sisters? That he was killed in some training exercise? They could never know the truth, and that pain would never go away. "I will avenge you brother…" Tegan spoke out loud, choking back tears as he did so; trying desperately to speak with his dead brother once more. "I'm going to kill that fucking kid!"


	20. Chapter 20: Allegiance

"What do you think?" Monty asked Geoff returned back to the room, leaning back in his chair with ease in zero gravity as he watched Douglas through the bulletproof glass; the pilot sitting calmly on the edge of his bed as he stared back at the captains of the revolutionary fleet. They had spent the last two hours interrogating the ex-pirate to find out what exactly he knew about the deal between Lord Kurin and Cerberus Squad, though all signs pointed towards nothing of value other than what he had to offer prior to the battle.

"I don't think he knows anything more. It seems to me that Kurin was the kind of person to only give out information to those privy to it, and more than likely his crew as a whole was not." Geoff replied, watching Douglas' eyes dart between the two of them as they spoke. He was not able to hear their words through the glass, so unless he was able to read lips he likely was unaware of what they were talking about. It was likely he waiting for them to return to him, as before they left the cell Geoff had given his word to check on Latty, Douglas' partner he brought to the fleet in even more deplorable state than himself. "Should we offer him a job?" Monty laughed while crossing his arms, recalling that the last person they had hired on a whim turned out to be rather worthwhile.

"I mean we are short a pilot now on top of the unmanned suits we already had to fill. Infact, if I was a betting man, which I always have been, I would bet that if he said yes so would that girl he brought with him. She is expected to make a full recovery." He added, scratching at his chin in curiosity as Geoff looked to him from the corner of his eye. The way he spoke of Sam's death irritated him; acting as if the boy was just a number in their inventory. Losses were to be expected, but to simply write them off without so much as a single thought? He personally had taken to boy's loss particularly heavy, and he only knew him for a short few weeks, while Monty trained him from the ground up; shaped him from a college student to a well-rounded pilot over weeks of training. How could he not even show the slightest hint of sorrow? He was never like this in the nearly ten years they had been friends, so why now?

"Can we trust him?" Geoff replied as he leaned against the door to the cell and shifted his vision back to Douglas. "And more importantly, can we trust Aye's crew not to kill him with friendly fire? It is evident that they are not fans of one another." He added as Monty shrugged and stood from his chair, stretching his back as he did so. "Well, let's find out, shall we?" The man asked as Geoff nodded; the two of them entering into the cell together.

As they floated back inside Douglas' eyes followed them without distraction, waiting for the two of them to both stop walking before holding his previously folded hands out in front of him inquisitively. "So?" He questioned, obviously regarding Latty; his entire right arm and leg covered in a bandage to conceal the second degree burns he sustained escaping the _Pride_. "How is she?" The blonde man asked, a bit impatient and unhappy that the two were silently delaying their answer. Looking to Monty, Geoff took a breath in preparation to reply.

"She was in rough shape when you brought her to us; a broken arm, several broken ribs, a gunshot wound to the right leg as well as what appeared to be an older concussion and head injury. She lost a lot of blood on the way in, and they were unsure if she was going to survive." Geoff began to reply, knowing that the latter must have been from her fight against Amaury. "But, over the past two days she has made a turn around, and as of right now is conscious and stable." He finished as Douglas sighed, having held his breath since the mention that they were unsure if she would survive. "Thank you." He replied quietly as Monty crossed his arms, watching as the pirate looked down at the floor between the three of them.

"So, now what?" Douglas asked, unsure where his fate lie at this point in time. The only reason he had landed on this ship was for Latty to receive life-saving medical care, not concerned with anything else, and now that the danger had passed he was not sure what these rebels would do with him. "Well that depends; where will you go if we release you? I can tell you that friend of yours is not ready for any kind of travel; and neither is your mobile suit. Infact, it has already been broken down for the parts." Monty replied as Douglas' eyes shot up to him in disgust. They had already taken so much from his ex-boss, they might as well take the very last one of his mobile suits, although given the state it was in upon landing onboard this ship, it probably wasn't worth its weight in scrap.

"I don't know." He replied, sighing out loud as he looked back down at the ground in a defeated manner. He had been with Kurin for nearly fifteen years; only having been thirteen at the time of his and Latty's joining, that ship and its grumpy old captain had been the only thing they had ever called home.

Seeing the broken man's blank expression, Monty looked to Geoff once more and nodded. "Interested in a job?" He asked as Douglas' eyes lifted, staring at the cocky captain in silence. Did he really just offer him some petty job as a mercenary like Aye and his men? He may be homeless, but he wasn't that desperate.

"What, and earn a dime for risking my life for the same people who caused my home's demise? No thanks." Douglas shot back, angered even at the gesture, though it was more of a subconscious defense than anything else; the truth being that the offer was tempting, but if it there was one thing he had learned from Kurin over the years, it was to never accept a job on the first offer. "Who said anything about pay?" Monty laughed as Geoff shook his head and walked over the glass wall, leaning against it once more. "The pay is a home for you and your friend, as well as a chance to strike back at the ones who did all of this." Geoff continued as Douglas' vision shifted toward him now, scoffing as he did so. "So you really are going after the Federation then?" He questioned, recalling Monty's initial transmission to the _Pride_ on the night of their battle.

It was a suicide mission to engage against the Federation in open conflict, even in the Navy's decrepit state, though the confidence of both of the men in his jail cell would lead him to believe they felt otherwise. "Absolutely." Geoff replied as Monty stepped forward a bit. "And we are going to beat them too. So, my question again is, are you interested?" Monty asked once more, a bit impatiently as Douglas sighed. What other choice did he have?

"Fine, I'm in." He replied against his better judgment, looking back to Monty as the man smirked at yet another successful negotiation. "But this is only for my service; you will have to ask Latty herself if she is interested. I'm not going to get her into something she's not ready for, especially not a suicide pact." He replied, to which Geoff nodded and extended his hand towards the ex-pirate to seal the deal. "Welcome aboard." He stated as Douglas stood to his feet and stared at the man for a brief moment, shaking his hand with a sigh. "I want to see Latty, and what I'll be flying." The new hire immediately demanded, forcing a grin to Monty's face as he motioned for the two of them to follow.

The hangar below was rather busy and had remained so throughout the night, the flight crews rallied to work by the sight of their pilot's dedication to assist them with their endeavors; despite the hard-fought battle and losses of the day before. The Scarlet Glint continued to be constructed and with the lower half now complete it was able to rest on its own power; the folded propellant tanks securing it to the floor of the hangar. Tome, Marcus, Carina and Amaury kept their promise to Sam and had continued to function against the overbearing sadness inside; though nearing half way through the night Amaury began to fall behind, exhausted from the work's strain on his injuries.

Having noticed almost immediately due to her watchful eye on her love, Carina instructed the boy to go back to his room and rest, to which he refused, unwilling to sleep while the others worked. Frustrated, she agreed that he could stay, but he was to simply sit and watch. Perching himself atop the left shoulder of his Jaeger, he watched as the crews around him worked while he remained docile and weakened, despising the feeling of helplessness the whole time he sat. His only recourse was that every once and while between tasks Carina would come to check on him, brightening his spirits and on several occasions kissing him; something he had grown quite fond of, sure that he could never tire of the feeling their embrace flushed over him.

Looking down at a conversation between his friends, he waved to the girl as she looked up to check on him, signifying that he was okay as a smile formed at the sight of her own. The fact that she was a Newtype was still fresh on his mind, as was finally understanding what was going on inside of his mind with the ringing and strange feelings he received around others; especially those who were Newtypes. However, despite receiving the answers he had sought after for months now, there was a lot of information to understand, and he was still very confused. Sitting quietly as the pondered everything he had been told, he sensed someone approaching, looking down to the nearest Hangar entrance as Geoff and Monty exited, followed closely behind by the pirate pilot Douglas, now unchained and walking free.

Amaury's eye narrowed on the man as he watched the three approach his friends and begin conversing with them; Carina's awkward stance from being in such close proximity to Monty visible even from afar. Shifting her eyes up towards Amaury, she motioned for him to come to them as all eyes now turned towards the boy, including Monty's displeased glare. How long would he continue to hold this grudge against him? It had been quite a while since the last time the two spoke without his Captain expressing some sort of animosity towards him or Carina, and he hadn't said anything to their leader since he scolded him before their arrival at Heaven's End. It was Carina's decision if she wanted to stay with him; not Monty's.

Taking a deep breath the boy set off from his spot towards the group below, his eye focusing down on Douglas as the man did the same in return; watching as the boy descended from the stolen Jaeger. "Looks like you've made quite a lot of changes to my Blitz." He stated in a cold manner as the boy came to a stop at Carina's side, his eyes locking to Douglas in an attempt to avoid looking at Monty. "It's called the Jaeger now, and it's mine." Amaury replied back in a warning fashion as Douglas scoffed, remembering how he was defeated by a carefully placed trap rather than direct combat.

"Oh yeah? You wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for your little trick. You don't deserve to fly that machine." Douglas replied as Amaury growled under his breath, gripping the side of his pants with his fingers as he resisted punching his enemy in the throat. Carina worked for hours on end to design the Jaeger's upgrades and tune its systems specifically for him; if this pirate scum thought he was going to set one foot in that cockpit to take it back, he was mistaken, and he didn't care if Monty thought otherwise or not.

"Don't touch my machine." Amaury warned once more as Douglas stepped forwards towards the boy. "How are you going to stop me cyclops? You and that busted wing of yours wouldn't stand a chance." He taunted the boy as he looked up at the taller man, his single brown eye darting back and forth between the pirate's dark irises. "Whoa now kids, let's be civil." Monty stated, pushing both of them back away from one another with a sigh.

"As I was just telling the others, Douglas here has decided to join our side; and wingmen don't beat each other up." He continued as he shook his head, irritated already by Amaury's behavior, though much of this irritation was bleed over from the boy's disruption of his plans. At Monty's words the two silenced, continuing to stare at one another with a high level of disdain until Douglas finally looked up towards the mobile suit bays.

"Which one of these am I going to be flying?" He asked as his eye caught a glimpse of Aye's suits, causing his grin to sour. He had almost forgotten that man was a part of this whole thing, and if he would have remembered soon he would have surely given it a second or even a third thought. Still aggravated by Douglas' words the boy continued to stare him down, watching as both he and Monty turned around, pointing to each mobile suit individually as he described what was available to use.

Spotting Amaury's balled fist, Carina gently slid her hand into his; forcing his fingers between hers to stop the flash of aggression the boy was displaying. Feeling her hand, Amaury closed his eye and took a deep breath, relaxing with the calming rush the came over him from her touch. Opening his eye again, he looked to her smile and nodded before she let go of his hand just in time to avoid it being spotted by Monty as he turned back around towards them.

"There are three additional Zaku F2s and two gun-tank style mobile suits onboard the _Bastille_ , but they are being shipped out tonight to Side 3 in preparation for the attack to support the colony capturing operations." Monty added to his conversation as he turned back to the group, catching the very end of Carina and Amaury's hand-holding. "More than likely you will be filling in the void left with Sam's death; direct frontline combat. Can you handle that?" He asked as Douglas too looked to Amaury, then back to the Zakum he would be piloting. It wouldn't be nearly as fast as his Blitz was, but if he remembered correctly, the boy was able to achieve quite a lot with this general purpose mobile suit.

"Yeah, sounds good." Douglas replied as his eyes shifted to Carina, knowing she was the designer of these upgraded antiques. Putting his fate into the hands of a girl younger than him wasn't anywhere near his idea of fun. "I'm sure I'll get the hang of it." The man added with a smug grin as he turned back to the group, looking at each person individually before returning to Monty. "Well 'Captain', can I see Latty now?" He asked, bringing a smirk to Monty's face as he nodded.

"Follow me." The captain replied, waiting for Geoff to follow although he instead shook his head. "I'll catch up to you in a few minutes; gotta speak to the team here quick." He replied as Monty's eye scanned over the four pilots in front of him, shrugged and continued on his way; their newest pilot right behind him.

Waiting for the two to clear the hangar before speaking, Marcus scoffed and shook his head, turning towards Geoff in the process. "So now we are going to have him on our side? Can we trust that he won't shoot us in the back for what we did to his friends?" He asked as Geoff stared at him, then to the others.

He too was worried about the choice in reinforcements; just because it seemed to have paid off with Aye and his crew didn't mean they should invite everyone into their fleet. "The only thing I can tell you is he has nowhere else to go and with his friend still laid up in the Med-Bay, I doubt he will do anything overly stupid." Geoff replied, looking around at the mobile suits in the hangar, then to the Scarlet Glint. Desperate or not Amaury still did not trust him, and it would take more than just a few days and civil conversations for him to gain the boy's trust. Only a few days ago he was trying to cut him in half, and now he was expected to trust him with his life?

"Well, I'm glad to see that everything here seems to be coming along nicely. I have to thank you guys for holding it together and leading the others. After the other day everyone's morale was pretty low and I was concerned." Geoff admitted, watching as the head of the mobile suit was hoisted up and onto the connecting joint while a team of three engineers began to connect its wiring together. "You don't have to thank us Geoff, it's our job." Carina replied as Marcus nodded. "Yeah man, don't thank us." He added as Geoff grinned a bit and shook his head. He truly had what must have been the best team of pilots anywhere in the Earth's Sphere; regardless of whether or not Monty believed so.

"What about you guys, how are you holding up?" He asked the group of Sam's closest friends, though he was the most concerned about Tome. He was aware that in the weeks prior he had secretly been seeing the girl, only revealing so a few days before his death. "We are holding up alright, all things considered." Marcus replied for the group as Tome nodded with a frown while Carina placing a hand on her shoulder; clear to see that she was still not entirely back to her normally bubbly self. Only able to muster half a grin at seeing the group still rattled, he turned his attention to their star pilot; his arm and eye still bandaged up well.

"How's the arm and your eye?" He asked the boy as Amaury nodded. "It's alright. Carina has been making sure I keep it clean and take it easy." He replied, looking to his right at the girl with a smile as she blushed a bit at the sound of Geoff's laugh. "Well that's a good thing since you don't seem to know how to take it easy." He joked as all three besides Amaury laughed; the boy sighing with a small grin. "Yeah I know." He replied as Geoff shook his head.

"Alright, I better get back to giving the grand tour to 'the last of the pirates'. If any of you need anything just let me know. In the meantime it's pretty late and I know you've all be out here all night. You should get something to eat and call it a night." He stated before kicking off towards the exit to follow Monty, his vision once again returning the bright red mobile suit at the end of the lane; even he did not know exactly what Elise's purpose here was, but based on the firepower she brought with her, he assumed they would find out soon.

Looking down at his watch as Geoff exited the hangar, Marcus' eye's widened. "Holy shit, it is late!" He stated seeing that it was well past three in the morning, meaning that they had been working for nearly nine hours already. "Really? What time is it?" Carina asked as Marcus laughed. "It's three." He replied as Carina's eyes widened. How could they really have been down here that long already? They must have been so busy they completely missed shift change. How could they have not noticed the influx of new faces into the work space? "Oh wow. Yeah, I think we should all get some rest." Carina instructed as Marcus nodded in agreement with a grin.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I am starving!" He exclaimed, Tome's eyes perking up a bit as she looked to the man. "Honestly so am I; I haven't eaten anything since the other day… but now all of this work has got me thinking that one of those soups in a can sounds really, really good." Tome replied, running her tongue over her lips as she thought about the normally mundane food; turning to Amaury and Carina to extend the offer to them as well. "You guys coming too?" She asked as Carina looked towards Amaury.

"Are you hungry?" She asked as the boy nodded, his good hand reaching for his stomach as it growled. "Yeah, I am." He replied as Tome's face displayed her first true smile in days. "Good! Let's go!" She called out as she led the way towards the mess hall, the drastic change in her attitude bringing a grin to Carina, who was just glad to see her friend normal again.

Sitting down in the mostly deserted dining hall, Marcus sighed in contentment; his fresh bowl of soup steaming as it remained stabilized to the table by the normal gravity projected inside of the room. "Oh man, if this isn't going the best tasting chicken noodle I've ever had in my life." He chuckled as Tome sat next to him and the other two across the table. "It sure does smell good; I have a hard time believing this is out of a can." Carina responded, taking Amaury's bowl from his hand and setting it on the table so he could more easily sit down.

"Well I mean, it's got to be. I don't know if you've noticed, but 'Chef' Mark isn't exactly a rocket scientist; I watched him light a grilled cheese on fire last week." Tome stated as Carina laughed a bit and shook her head. "Come on Tome, there is no way he could have messed up something as simple as a grilled cheese." Her friend replied in disbelief as she took her first spoonful of soup; Marcus pointing his empty spoon towards the girl as he swallowed. "Not true; my sandwich didn't even have cheese, so unless he was making a grilled bread sandwich, I would say it is _very_ possible that he could have messed up something that simple." The man replied, causing Amaury to laugh quietly under his breath as Carina shook her head.

"Alright, whatever you say." She laughed, watching Amaury carefully balance his soup on his spoon as it approached his mouth, her eyes widening as he nearly missed and spilled the hot soup on his face. Was his bandaged eye throwing off his depth perception? "Are you alright?" She asked as the confused boy's eye shifted towards his lover. Was he alright? Was she talking about the soup? "I'm okay." He replied with a smile, unwilling to admit his difficulty with such a simple task as eating with a spoon or worry her even more than she already was. Seeing the stubborn boy smile forced her to do the same as she shook her head and looked up to Marcus and Tome.

"I can't believe how close to Side 3 we are now… it seems like just yesterday we were walking into that damp abandoned plant, not know what we were getting ourselves into." The girl said as she began to recall back on everything they had been through, remembering the first time she met her friends; particularly the first time she saw Amaury as he exited his simulation pods, never having guess that she would be here sitting next to him as more than just a friend.

"It's crazy isn't it? Everything seems so long ago, but at the same time I can recall every moment of it." Marcus replied, taking another spoonful of soup to his mouth as he did so. "The precinct is probably still calling my phone, wondering why I haven't shown up for work in the last… five months." He joked with a laugh as Tome grinned. She hadn't really thought about it before, but it was highly likely that every member of the Movement was now a missing person; roughly five hundred people in total now. How funny it must be for those back home to see the mystery unfolding from their hiding spot; though it probably wasn't funny for their families, sick with worry about where their loved ones had gone.

Her father likely had the entire city block they lived on back in the colony of Achilles looking for her knowing him, though she would see him again soon enough. He would understand; they all had to understand. They were doing this for them, for their families and loved ones. This was all for their freedom. "Yeah, I've probably been removed from the roster at my college…" Carina thought out loud while looking down at the bowl of soup before her as a disheartened look grew across her features. All of her hard work would be for nothing if this was so; five years of grueling, painful general studies and extremely difficult honors-level engineering courses gone to waste.

Hearing the sad tone of her voice, Amaury's eye shifted to her, his heart aching at the sight of how upset the girl was. "You'll finish college." He replied softly as he placed his spoon back in his bowl and lowered his hand to her lap, carefully placing it on her knee as she blushed. "But how? Two days from now it will become evident what exactly is going on, and all of the missing persons will likely become traitors to the Federation… what school will take me then?" She questioned as their eyes met and fingers interlocked, all while the boy thought. He didn't really know of any colleges at all off the top of his head, but he was sure that somewhere one of them would want to have someone as smart as her under their wing; even if she did come from a foreign nation.

"Oh I'm sure one of them will Carina; you are the most intelligent person I've ever met. Any college would love to be able to say that they were the school that issued a PhD to the chief mechanical engineer of the new Zeon Republic." Tome replied as Marcus nodded. "Yeah don't you worry about that; it may not be at Side 3 or even Von Braun, but I'm sure you will be able to finish somewhere." Marcus stated as she turned to the two of them and smiled with a bob of her head. "Thanks guys." She replied before turning towards Amaury as he too spoke. "Wherever it is, I will follow you." He said softly, forcing the smile on her lips to widen, unsure if he knew exactly how much that meant to her. Being in sight of Tome in such a sensitive time, Carina resisted kissing the boy or leaning her head against his as she so desired to do; instead squeezing his hand, knowing he would understand the gesture.

Seeing the way the two lovers stared at one another Marcus scoffed. "I'm trying to eat dinner here; come on!" He joked with a laugh as Carina playfully scowled; returning to her food with the others as they continued to talk about their time before and during the movement, as well as their plans and hopes for after everything was done. Marcus wanted to return to the police force, though under a new regime of peace while Tome wished to go back to Achilles and manage her families shipping company, which had been in the family for generations. When asked about his future however, Amaury refrained from sharing his dream, simply stating that he had not thought that far ahead as Carina looked to him with a blushing smile; the secret kept between the two of them.

As their meal came to a close the four friends stood and returned their empty bowls and trays to the countertop they retrieved them from originally, watching as Chef Mark beat a flaming pot with a towel to extinguish a fire; the sight causing both girls to laugh as Marcus and Amaury simply shook their head. "Well, it's four-thirty now. Shall we meet back in the hangar at noon?" Marcus asked the group as Carina nodded.

"That sounds good to me. Amaury, do you need anything?" She asked curiously, unsure if he needed help as Marcus shook his head. "I've got him Carina, you and Tome just go get some rest." He replied as Carina looked up to the tall man, then back to Amaury. "Are you sure Marcus?" She questioned, knowing that he too needed his sleep, though she knew that Amaury wouldn't be that much of a handful with how selfless he was.

"Yeah, we will be alright. If he has to bathe I'll just pull his shirt off quickly and kick his naked ass into the shower." Marcus answered with a laugh as Amaury sighed; the girl blushing even darker than before. When she asked if he needed anything, she didn't even think about him having to clean up. What would she have done in that situation? Could she even have helped? "A-Alright then, we will see you in the morning. Don't forget to pick up more solution for your eye from the Med-Bay Amaury." She added as she turned to walk away with Tome, smiling once more to the boy as they too turned and exited the cafeteria.

Waiting until they were almost to the Med-Bay Marcus stopped and turned back to the trailing boy with a large grin across his face. "So you two are kissing now, huh?" He asked in a sly fashion as Amaury's face darkened a tad, his eye looking towards the wall as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, it just… happened." He replied, recalling the moment he received his first kiss and the dark, long haired angel that gave it to him. Seeing the boy's subconscious smile brought an even bigger grin to his lips as she crossed his arms. "Was that all that happened? I don't need to change my sheets, do I?" Marcus asked, instantly turning the boy's smile to scowl while rounding the corner into the Med-Bay.

"Fuck you Marcus." He replied as Marcus laughed, quieting himself down as the doors opened, revealing the few rows of beds along the corners of the wall, filled with injured and recovering Movement soldiers; some of which were awake and raised their hands to wave to the two pilots whose names they had come to know well. Silently waving back the two made their way down the row towards the head medical technician's storage area. "Need more solution for your eye, Amaury?" He asked as Amaury approached the counter and nodded. "Yeah, I used the last of it this morning." The boy replied as the tech shook his head, both Marcus and Amaury stepping back from the counter to look around the room at the sleeping wounded.

"You really should consider _not_ breaking your eyes." He replied with a laugh, knowing that it was not entirely his fault before shuttering at a sudden loud voice from the room next to him. "He's not breaking his eyes you fool; he's forcing them to evolve!" The voice called out, causing both Amaury and Marcus to look at one another in confusion. The voice was one they had not heard before, yet it was very distinct; deep and commanding with the hint of age on the accent. "Who was that?" Marcus asked as the technician turned around and stared at them with the appearance of pure exhaustion. "It was me? What, are you blind too?" The voice asked as all of sudden a man popped up from behind the counter; his eyes only a few inches over the countertop.

At his sudden reveal, Marcus jumped, having not expected the man to be standing there the whole time. "Hello there." The man simply stated as Amaury's eyes focused on him. He was rather short, standing somewhere near four and a half feet tall, maybe a bit over; the length of his greying beard hidden by the counter. "Uh… hi. Sorry, I was just… caught off guard." Marcus replied, regaining his composure as his eyes shifted to the medical technician, pretending to the strangle the strange man behind his back; quickly hiding the motion as he turned around to see what was taking him so long to retrieve the boy's medication.

"No problem lad, it happens a lot. Many people seem to scare easily these days it seems." The man replied as his eyes shifted to Amaury, seeing the boy who needed the eye care. "Ah, you must be the boy they were speaking of earlier." He questioned as Amaury continued to stare, unsure what he was talking about or what to say. The man had to be nearly sixty years old, and the accent he spoke in was odd. "The silence says it all, you're him; quiet and calculative, with a slightly handsome appearance. Pleasure to meet you; I am Doctor Harolld Emerson, personal physician of Haakon Enterprises. Your chief engineer stated that you requested a doctor, and as a sign of good faith between our crews, sent me to check up on your wounded. Judging by the knucklehead behind me I would say that was a good decision." Emerson added as the technician handed Amaury's solution to him over the counter above him and disappeared into the back room, unable to handle the Doctor after only eight hours or so of working with him.

"Well it is nice to meet you as well Doc." Marcus replied, returning his attention back behind the counter as a loud bang filled the room; Emerson sighing after the noise came to an end. "I'll catch up to you boys later; I've got a lot to get straightened up around here if I plan to help anyone." Emerson replied, obviously annoyed by whatever his assistant had done in the storage closet. "Stop by some time and I'll take a look at those wounds." He added as he made his way from the counter towards the back, immediately yelling in his mysterious language as he spotted whatever was spilled or knocked over.

Looking to Amaury as the boy turned towards him, Marcus shrugged, unsure what to make of their new doctor. "Well, he's an odd one." He replied as Amaury silently nodded and began to float towards the exit of the Med-Bay, stopped once again as someone called his name. "Amaury?" The voice asked, drawing both his and Marcus' attention to a woman to their left covered in bandages, including a one across her forehead that also served to highlight her copper hair color. Neither of the two had ever seen this woman before, drawing their suspicions as to where she came from.

Slowly he nodded, surprised as a metal utensil cup came flying towards him; the boy's hand reaching up to catch it before it struck his face as he sensed the hostility directed towards him. In seeing the boy catch the cup the woman laughed lightly, obviously pained in doing so. "So it is you." She replied as Marcus stepped towards the woman, just in case she attempted to throw anything else. "What the hell lady!?" He asked as Amaury set the cup down on a moveable try next to him, trying to recall where he had heard this woman's voice before.

"You really don't remember me?" She asked as Amaury shook his head, causing the woman to scoff. "I'll give you a hint; I would have gotten you if your axe hadn't disabled my Blitz and knocked me out. Lucky bastard." She hinted with a smirk, instantly bringing the memory back to the boy; the pilot they called Latty. He thought that he had sensed something with his ears as the medical technician caused a ruckus, though he had assumed it was from the loud metallic noise ringing in his ear drums. "You are the passenger Douglas brought with him, right?" Marcus asked as Amaury stared at the girl, her eyes shifting towards the dark skinned man in front of her with a nod as she listened to his voice carefully.

"And you are the sniper. I guess I'm meeting my new wingmen almost all at once, eh?" She replied with a grin, her demeanor significantly less manic here than it was in the field that day. Hearing her mention about them being her wingmen, it was clear that she too had decided to join the Movement, though it might be some time before she was capable of flying again. "Well, welcome aboard, I guess." Marcus replied as the girl smiled, though it was difficult to tell how sincere it truly was. "Not like I have a choice." She replied, grunting in pain as she attempted to shift herself to a more comfortable position.

Unlike Douglas, Latty seemed bearable, though it remained to be seen whether or not she too could be trusted. "Well, I'm going back to bed, as long as these assholes don't keep waking me up." She replied as she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, regardless or not if the boys were done speaking with her. "Oh, one more thing." She continued, opening her eyes once more and looking towards the two friends. "Tell that chef of yours that if he keeps burning my food I'm going to throw him out of the airlock. It's horrible." Latty added as she closed her eyes once more, forcing Marcus to laugh as the two continued out of the airlock and back into the hall; Marcus waiting no more than a few seconds before expressing what his attention had truly been on throughout the entire conversation with their one time adversary.

"So… is it me or did you not expect that woman to be so damn gorgeous? I mean, I would have never guessed from the sound of her voice we heard during that day. A bit on the feisty side, but hey, that's not a bad thing!" He asked as Amaury sighed heavily, looking down at the bottle of solution grasped gently in his bad hand. "Just shut up."

Sitting in his Captain's chair, Monty looked out at the empty bridge; the silence almost a gift given the last two days. With the _Bastille_ on a set course for the night and his crew tired from a nearly constant forty hours of manning the bridge, they needed their rest; especially with the liberation of Side 3 set to begin within the timespan of the next day. Everything they had trained, fought and died for was about to come to fruition, and deep down inside the man was slightly pained to know he would not be there to see the end, one way or another. It had never been his plan to make it this far on the Movement's journey; his mission slated to have ended over a week ago, only extended by setbacks that, while expected, proved to be troublesome and time consuming.

With a sigh Monty looked down at the console to his left, locking down the entrance to the bridge as well as the corridor leading to it, ensuring that whatever was about to be said could be heard by no one. Standing up from his chair he floated to the communications panel before him and pulled the necklace around his neck off over his head and separated it, revealing an encryption chip inside of one of the halves.

Wasting no time he locked it into a port on the console before him as the screen changed from blue to grey, displaying the symbol of the Jupiter Energy Fleet in the center as it began to securely signal out into space for an answer; bouncing and relaying in complete secrecy off of every and any network relay possible before it patched completely through to the receiving end.

"Well, I'll be damned; if it isn't the son of Ambrose McNeil. Do you have any idea how overdue for this check-in you are?" The woman on the other end of the transmission asked as Monty chuckled. "Yeah well, things have been a bit busy out here." He replied as he looked out at the _Haakon_ , leading the way forward towards Side 3.

"So, what have you got? I'm assuming that is what you called for, correct? You were only supposed to do so when the time came to retrieve you and your cargo." The woman replied as Monty laughed, placing his hands on his belt as he grinned to the communications operator on the other side. "Come on Terra, I can't call because I missed your bright, smiling face?" He asked as the woman stared at him, unpleased by that cocky attitude of his, forcing him to sigh. He had forgotten that Terra didn't know how to laugh or have a good time; remembering how it made for a very awkward date.

"Fine. I've acquired something that can help us; our very own Gundam." He replied as the woman's eyes widened in surprise. "A Gundam you say? Make and model?" She questioned as she began writing on a notepad in front of her while Monty laughed. "Yeah, that doesn't apply at the moment. When we found her she was in a deplorable state; no armor, no weapons, just the frame which luckily the chief engineer of the fleet here was able to get running. It's some kind of prototype; high energy output reactor, excellent thrusters. It would be complete by now but some fuckin' kid got in between me and the engineer repairing it, and then as you can see the backup plan… well, went up in smoke." Monty replied as he held up the blueprints to the Ares, taken from the hanger below; some of Reo's blood sprayed across the schematics.

Screenshotting the blueprints so that they could be printed out on her end, Terra continued to write down whatever she found interesting as it came to mind as she prepared her next questions. "Its incomplete status while inconvenient is just that; an inconvenience. Are these plans complete?" She asked as she looked over the screenshot, noting the enhanced reactor output jotted down on the side of the paper in Carina's handwriting.

"For the most part, though it could have used some more work." He added as Terra switched back to the communications line. "Any chance the designer, this 'Carina Hughes', will come with you?" She asked as Monty laughed. "Doubtful. She's fallen in love with some rookie pilot with a natural talent for killing people. Same old repeating story, eh?" Monty attempted to joke again though once again it went unanswered. "Well if not we will figure it out. Is it flyable?" She asked as Monty nodded, in the middle of rolling the stained designs back into its tubular shape.

"Yeah, short distances only. Right now it's only got the basics, minimal armor on the torso and thrusters. I'll need a shuttle." The man stated as Terra nodded, underlining Monty's request as she did so. "When do you need it by?" She questioned next as Monty laughed. "Well, seeing as at some point between this coming night and the follow morning all hell is going to break loose in this place, I would say that I need it ASAP." He answered as the woman looked to her right at her lists of contacts for the operatives currently operating near him, locating one that was currently awaiting deployment in Von Braun city.

"I have a shuttle docked at the moon at the moment. If I get ahold of him now, he could most likely be to you by the early hours of tomorrow. That's your best bet; take it or leave it." Terra instructed as Monty scoffed. That time frame would place him trying to load the Ares onto a shuttle in the middle of the liberation efforts. There really wasn't anything closer or sooner?

With a heavy and elongated sigh, the man nodded. "Fine. Just make sure it gets here. I don't want to be on this ship as it gets torn to shreds." He replied as his eye now caught five glints of light coming towards them in the distance; the Movement shuttles coming to receive the few spare mobile suits they had to assist the in-colony operations. If they weren't expecting to only pick up the three Zaku F2's and Guntanks he would simply steal one of them, but he could never load and fly the shuttle on his own; not before being shot down at least. "That would be a shame, wouldn't it?" Terra questioned with a small laugh as Monty stared her down at the only laugh she mustered throughout their entire conversation.

"Alright, I'm out. See you when I get back to the fleet." She finished their conversation before severing the connection, the screening turning dark at Monty's removal of the chip from the console. For almost a whole year he had been away from home, and he often wondered what had changed, if anything at all. This place and these people had become his reality, and no matter how hard he tried to keep up his façade while distancing himself from them, he did feel some remorse that they would all be thrown to the lion's den without him, including his long time best friend Geoff, who knew nothing of his plans.

Floating to the bridge's windows he watched as the first shuttle began to request docking to the hanger below, spotting from his position that these shuttles were designed to be quick and would deliver their packages to the colonies well before the fleet arrives. Would they truly succeed, or would they all be slaughtered? An awful lot of them believed it possible including Admiral Krupp, a man who had seen and experienced more than his fair share of combat and politics alike; a man who he genuinely respected. If there was one man who could lead this rag-tag army to victory, it would be him, no matter how grim the odds of success. Their pilots were skilled and even without him their leadership was strong. Maybe they could do it after all. But it was all out of his hands now, and only one certainty remained; it would be a fight the likes of which not a single one amongst them had seen before, and he honestly hoped they were ready for it.


	21. Chapter 21: Scarlet's Run

As scheduled, the Movement shuttles that had arrived earlier that morning were loaded and sent back, speeding back to Side 3 carrying a deadly payload to be utilized by the second wave of pilots trained after their departure from Dresden. Their departure marked the beginning of the largest operation they had ever been a part of and the event that they had been trained to accomplish from the very beginning; the liberation of Side 3 from the Federation's toxic rule. The _Bastille_ 's hangar now repaired to operational standard and clear of all mobile suits except the Ares Gundam, a transfer of ammunition and supplies began, as well as the division of mobile suits equally amongst the two cruisers. Marcus, Geoff and Douglas would be stationed aboard the _Warsaw_ for the duration of the battle, launching and returning to her for resupply and frontline repairs, while Carina was pulled back to the _Bastille_ for the duration of the battle under Monty's orders along with Tome, Elise and of course Amaury; their commander knowing very well that she would not be willing to come unless he did as well. Aye, Drex and Alpha would have free reign to return to either cruiser for whatever was needed due in part to the _Haakon_ 's inability to undergo field repairs on its mobile suits, as well as the plan to use the _Haakon_ as a fast attack vessel to intercept hostile capital ships attempting to intercept and attack the fleet directly once the battle began.

In total they would be launching with nine mobile suits total and roughly twenty strike craft from the mercenary cruiser; this number expected to be bolstered by a seemingly significant amount of traitors from the Federal garrison, who have been ordered to deploy some form of red onto their mobile suits and vessels to signify their allegiance to the revolutionary forces. At last communication Admiral Krupp had stated that preparations on the ground were nearly complete; heavy protesting had erupted in all twelve of the colonies, while the heaviest took part in the nine who had decided to side with the Movement and the arms supplied to them by the fleet as well as other sources had been divided evenly amongst the colonies as best as possible. Krupp's speech was written and all sleeper agents vital to the operation were placed where they needed to be. All that remained before the whole show could begin was the destruction of the long range communications relays connecting Side 3 to the rest of Earth's Sphere; a task specifically given to Elise to complete and something that the majority of the crew believed had been her purpose all along.

Carrying Carina in the Jaeger's open palm as she held onto it's pointer finger, Amaury brought the both of them into the hangar of the _Bastille_ for the last time before the launch of the operation, both turning their attention in surprise to the Scarlet Glint at the end of the hangar lane. The suit itself had now been completed, and it was evident now why it was to be Elise's job to swoop down on the unsuspecting Federation like a bird of prey before they could appropriately respond; the apple red mobile suit containing thrusters in every direction, many of which were almost as large as the machine's torso, and attached to its back was a massive booster unit with additional propellant tanks. It's armament was just as impressive, boasting not only the beam carbine she had used to aid in his fight against Cerberus Squad but a shield attached to its right arm, as well as what appeared to be four high yield tactical missiles mounted on the inside of the suit's main propellant tanks.

"This thing is a monster." Carina said quietly through their radio, looking into his open cockpit at the boy whose eye turned to look at her, then back to the red suit as the Jaeger's feet touched down in the hangar. Would its performance live up to its name and impressive presence? Making his way towards the open bay next to the Ares, Amaury carefully navigated himself back into the docking spot; careful not to twist his arm too sharply. He wasn't supposed to be using his injured arm for a few days still, but with the battle quickly approaching he had no choice; he just had to ease into it. Locking the suit down to the bay he waited for Carina to float to the catwalk before dropping the Jaeger's hand down to its side, standing and exiting the cockpit door towards Carina, who waited from him on the catwalk.

As he came to a stop before her, she took his injured arm in her hands and gently rubbed her thumb along where she knew the staples were. "How is it?" She asked, knowing that it had not healed as the boy shrugged. "I'll be alright, don't worry." He replied with a smile through his visor, watching as Tome's suit followed behind them into the hangar and docked in the nearest available bay as the doors began to close. Having seen her friends on the flight in, Tome wasted no time exiting her Zakum and quickly head straight towards them. "You see that thing?! It's a beast!" She called out as she pointed towards the Scarlet Glint, opening her helmet in the process as the air warning stopped; both Carina and Amaury doing the same. "We were literally just talking about that." Carina laughed as all three of them turned back to the suit; it's pilot now visible as she climbed out of the cockpit and looked around for a ground crewman to yell at about something.

"Do you think it will work? Can she destroy the satellites before they can send out a distress signal?" Tome asked as two crewman scattered away from the impatient and demanded woman who called to them, which only made her even more aggravated. "I think it will." Amaury replied, looking up to Tome's Zakum at her choice of weaponry. With adequate time to prepare for this engagement, the entire fleet be launching for the first time at maximum combat strength. The Jaeger was now outfitted with everything he could possibly carry without impeding his flight characteristics; two 380mm bazookas with five rounds each, six missiles on it's legs, both of its internally stored beam sabers, a heat hawk and of course his favored 120mm machine gun, which thanks to the scrap collected from the last battle now featured a single shot 200mm howitzer on the forend, even further increasing his firepower.

"I believe in her too. She may not be the friendliest person, but I know that she has what is necessary to do this; especially in the Glint." Carina agreed with her lover, smiling towards him before looking up at Jaeger; her most important creation. The way that Amaury flew made operating a suit look so easy that she almost wanted to try someday, though knowing just how they worked made it abundantly clear that it was not an easy task in the least. "Well, if you guys think so, then I have no other choice to believe as well." Tome replied, looking down at her watch to check the time. It was a little past eight in the evening and the plan was set to start as no later than quarter to nine; any minute now. She still couldn't believe that the time had finally come, though she assumed that the sentiment was one shared with every single member of the Movement, both here and at Side 3. "Well, I guess there isn't any point in straying too far from the suits now. I guess I'll just go wait inside." She continued as she looked back to her friends, jumping and throwing her arms around their necks to force them into a group hug. "Please be careful guys; we can't lose anyone else." She said softly as she hugged them, Amaury closing his eye and nodding. "You too Tome. We will see you soon." Carina replied as the girl let go of them with a smile before turning and floating back towards her Zakum, wasting no time before entering inside the cockpit.

Turning back to Amaury with a hint of sadness as Tome disappeared into the cockpit it was clear he too had to go, though the boy had decided he simply would not just say goodbye and leave her standing there. Taking her hand he pushed off of the catwalk, guiding her towards the Jaeger's hatch, where once landed he wasted no time stepping inside. Watching him pull his helmet from his head as she did the same, Carina bit her lip; she knew what he had on his mind, and it was the same thing she was thinking of as well. Letting the two helmets float inside of the cockpit she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in to kiss her, gently knocking him into the seat of the cockpit and placing her legs to either side of the boy as she sat down on his lap facing towards him, careful not to bump his arm.

"Am I hurting you?" She asked in between gently pressing their lips together, his arms now wrapped around her lower back as he shook his head. "N-No, not at all." He replied with a smile as she pulled the bandage from his eye to reveal both of the brown orbs that captivated her so deeply. He would need both eyes to fly, despite the red tinge still present in the more injured of the two. "Good, b-because I'm not done." She whispered before bringing him into another kiss with more to follow. While she was sure that some of this passion was due to the lack of affection she had received for quite some time before Amaury, she knew that the grand majority of her desire was because of the boy himself; the man that he was and the dreams they had both formed by each other's side. "You better come back to me when this is all over." She quietly stated while looking down at his chest; their foreheads pressed together once more as the boy's eye's closed. "You better be here for me to come back to." He replied in turn as he took a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart, forcing her to giggle while running a hand through his messy helmet-hair.

"Promise me?" She asked, unwilling to allow him to leave this hangar without promising he would return; knowing he would do absolutely anything he could to keep a promise to her. Listing his head a bit to stare back into her eyes he nodded, kissing her nose gently as he did so. "I promise." The boy replied quietly as Carina smiled, shifting herself carefully so that she now sat across his lap, her shoulder against his chest while resting her head on his shoulder. "And I promise to be here for you to come home to." She whispered in return as she closed her eyes, feeling the boy hold her close. Just as his promise had brought her mine ease, her own did the same to his, reassuring him that everything would be okay and that they would make it out of the abyss they were now about to walk in to.

With nothing else to do but wait, the two remained still for nearly the next half hour; Amaury holding the girl tightly as his mind cleared of all worry and concern; indulging in the solace her warmth generated before the alarm sounded overhead to signify the beginning of the operation. Standing from his lap carefully as the announcer stated the upgrade to a General Quarters status, Carina grabbed her helmet from the air and pulled it down to her side as she looked back to her Amaury and smiled, albeit half-heartedly. "Be careful, Amaury." She said softly as she pulled him in for one more kiss, holding it as long as possible before slowly pulling away. "I will." The boy repeated as she smiled once more and backed away from him, biting her lip in the process as the boy she loved grew more distant by the second. Should she have told him that she loved him? She could feel it almost leave her tongue at their goodbye, but was it the time? What if there wasn't ever a time again? No, there would be. He would return, he would be okay; she believed his promise.

Making her way to her post as the Jaeger's hatch closed, Carina watched its monoeye illuminate as the boy sat down, strapped himself in and fired the machine up. "What's the plan Geoff?" Tome asked as she watched his suit sync on the comms panel, just as the boy pulled his helmet on and flipped down the visor. "Game plan is simple; we are to launch and escort the fleet as it approaches Side 3. We are well outside of the detection range of any vessel currently in the vicinity of the cluster of colonies, but once Elise begins her attack all cards will be on the table, and we will need to be prepared to both defend the fleet as well as respond to her aid should she need it. Amaury, that will be you and me; we have the fastest suits. Start launching." He instructed as Elise's suit came online and patched into the network. "I won't need any help." She replied as Amaury stepped out of the bay and onto the catapult, locking himself into its tracks.

Watching from his post at the helm of the _Bastille_ , Monty laughed, finding great humor in the confidence the daughter of a living legend displayed. "I'm not going to lie Elise, I've spent quite some time waiting for this moment, ever since Krupp first told me the identity of our informant." He called over the radio, keeping a vigilant eye out for any sign of his ride out of hell, though he truly was interested in seeing what she can do. Having secretly orchestrated Elise's involvement from start to finish, his wait was much longer than he would lead all those listening to believe. With just the simplest of efforts he was able to alert the hidden remnants of Zeon on Mars to the existence of the Movement, knowing that good old Johnny would trust nobody else besides his own offspring to handle the task of assisting them in their quest for freedom; and not a single person the was the wiser. "Don't disappoint me now." He added as the girl scowled. She had told him once before not to use her to project his authority of command, nor to treat her as some kind of weapon for the revolution or toy for his enjoyment. Why would he risk her abandonment of her mission now over petty comments such as these? "I will finish my mission." She replied as the both Geoff and Amaury launched into space simultaneously from the two cruisers; the two calling out their launch individually as the next suits lined up on the catapult.

Waiting for Tome's Zakum to lock down into the tracks before her, Elise fired up the Glint's reactor, slowly allowing the suit to hover off of the hangar floor as her Psycommu screen illuminated all around her. What was taking so long? The sooner her task was complete the sooner she could be free of these kids and their narcissistic leader. "Tome Himare, Zakum Two; heading out!" The girl finally called as she shot off into space, causing a devilish grin to form of Elise's features. She was finally free to do what she came here to do. Without waiting for flight control clearence or that of the hangar crew, the Scarlet Glint began to make its way forward in the hangar, slowly navigating the large suit towards the exit as Carina grunted in annoyance. She was really going to launch without being told to do so?

"Watch out, Elise is launching right now!" She called over the radio as Tome diverted her course from the straight line she flew out of the hangar, watching as the Scarlet Glint crept slowly forward from the hangar entrance. "That's it? That's this weapon of mass destruction your leaders sent us?" Douglas asked, mocking its slow speed as he too launched from his place aboard the _Warsaw_. "Don't mock the Scarlet Glint." Elise growled in an eerie fashion as the Glint's thrusters spread out and adjusted, slowly igniting for a second as the machine shifted and aligned it's trajectory towards Side 3. It was time.

Plunging her throttle controls forward with an eerie laugh the suit's main thrusters roared and the Glint shot forward, traveling from a complete stand still to a high speed in the matter of a second or two. "She'll crush you all into dust!" The woman screamed as the massive booster unit kicked in and the suit darted off into the distance at a truly alarm speed, leaving all who witnessed the feat speechless and wide eyed, including the crews of both ships; Amaury's ears screaming as she projected the same psychic aurora she had on the _Julieta_. "Holy fuck!" Marcus exclaimed loudly as the suit quickly disappeared from their sensors; achieving a great distance in only the matter of seconds. "How is that possible? That machine is moving so fast; I don't understand how she is able to control it." Douglas questioned as Carina watched the light of the woman's thrusters disappear in the distance.

"It's the Psycommu. She is synced to the machine." She replied, having read up more on the Psycommu system while working on the Area Gundam, forcing Monty to raise his eyebrows, having already stood from his chair at the Glint's launch. He too could sense the brainwaves the girl threw off, raising many questions in his mind. If the Psycommu system could allow Elise to fly that thing, what would the Area be capable of? Even Amaury watched in shock; while he was quite fond of moving with great agility and at high speed, he was unsure if he could even fly that monster. "She has officially passed our range of sensors; if she needs help, we won't know until she is chased back to the fleet, so remain on your guard. We are expected to arrive in Side 3 within two hours." The EWACS controller advised as Amaury turned his attention back to the direction Elise had gone, wondering what unholy hell the woman was about to unleash on their foes.

Already a great distance away from the fleet as she rocketed towards the colonies at an inhuman speed, Elise's grin had yet to fade; feeling the pure influx of feedback from the Glint's control systems. She had waited a long time to be reunited with her machine, and now being synced to her once again, it was worth the wait. Approaching the boundaries of her Psycommu's sensors her grin widened even more, her mind flooded with images of her targets in the distance; the three communications relay satellites. Spinning around in a spiral for no reason other than the enjoyment of flight, Elise armed the first Psycommu controlled missile and focused on the closest of the satellites.

"It's time to light the fire that consumes the Earth sphere to ash!" She called out to nobody but herself as from the bottom of the suit the first high-yield missile dropped, fluttering around in space for a moment from the Glint's momentum before establishing a link to the woman's mind and correcting itself with its thrusters. "Fly!" She commanded with a laugh as the missile's primary drive ignited, propelling it at an even greater speed than the Glint towards the first satellite.

Approaching into the heart of Side 3 towards Fort Page, the new leader of Cerberus Division sat in his captain's chair, watching out the windows of the bridge in disgust at the colonies. These twelve colonies were filled to the brim with the descendants of the original traitorous spacenoids that had shattered the Earth Sphere years ago, yet there was nothing special about the majority of them. The Federation had spent the majority of its existence babysitting these people, preventing them from killing one another as well as the people of Earth; but why? Why had the Federation tolerated such defiance and resistance for so long? Why hadn't they simply finished the problem once and for all?

" _EFF Cerberus_ , welcome to Side 3. You are clear to proceed to dock seven, lower level of Fort Page." An operator from Fort Page called out to the crippled vessel as it limped it's way towards port; it's primary drive on the starboard side damaged by a lucky shot from the _Haakon_ as they attempted to escape. "Roger Fort Page, heading to dock seven, lower level." The communications officer on his bridge replied as the the ship adjusted it's heading, the crew looking out at the satellite before them where three Salamis Kai-Class cruisers were also docked. "Looks like it's going to be a meeting of the minds, sir." An officer on the man's deck joked, only to receive a unamused scowl from their captain. "Just land us safe and sound, we can't afford any more damage." He advised as the officer nodded, regretting the attempt at a joke. "Yes sir."

Sighing at the poorly orchestrated joke, Tegan sat back in his chair, watching from the corner of his eye as a streak of light approached from space. Curious, the man's attention directed entirely to the glint in the distance, his eyes widening as it quickly neared, flew past the Cerberus' field of view and crashed full speed into one of the communications satellites; detonating a few moments later, consuming the whole relay into a ball of fire. Completely caught off guard, Tegan looked back to the direction the missile came for as the bridge filled with alarms; frantic calls for help from the damaged satellite and confused reactions to the attack from the garrison forces following shortly behind.

Where did that come from?!" He called out as Elise's mobile suit came into view, streaking across the sky between the colonies as another missile followed behind her to obliterate the second relay. "It's an attack! We are under attack!" A Federal patrol vessel called out as another pilot figured out what was happening and moved to intercept the suit before it reached the finally relay. "It's going after the relays, request reinforcements be-" The patrol vessel called out as the Scarlet Glint doubled back around and fired its beam rifle into the small corvette, destroying it instantly. "God damnit, how did they find us here?!" Tegan growled as he stood from his chair and headed towards his hangar, destined for his repaired Jesta; the only functional mobile suit currently on his ship. He could now sense the pilot of the hostile suit, and knowing that same soul was present during his brother's death drove him to act; flushed with anger and a desire for vengeance. "I'm going out there, keep the _Cerberus_ out of combat." He instructed to his first mate who saluted at the captain's departure.

Laughing at the destruction of the Federal corvette, Elise moved to engage an incoming Jegan, shooting its legs from its body before slamming her shield into its cockpit and activating the beam saber. It had been quite a long time since her last bouts of combat, and while she felt a bit out of practice, she couldn't deny the thrill the battle was bringing her. "Come on boys, come out and play!" She taunted over the open frequency as the Scarlet Glint's eye shot up and around its head in search of more targets, firing the third missile at the remaining satellite as she did so; destroying it upon impact. Her mission completed with one missile remaining, she searched for the nearest target of opportunity, scanning through the twelve colonies with a grin. Scoring a kill against such a large target surely would be a memorable experience, but seeing as those inside were vastly civilians even she would be unable to live with herself.

After only a moment more however she spotted her prey, centered right in the center of Side 3 and surrounded by scrambling Federal naval vessels; Fort Page. While not heavily populated, Fort Page was a crucial defensive point for the Federation in Side 3, and it's destruction would go a long way towards helping the revolutionary fleet; especially since it was known to have stored massive amounts of propellant and ammunition in requirement of its designation as a refueling and refitting depot. All of that fuel and ordinance would make quite the explosion; an excellent display of the Glint's power. There was only one problem; now that the Federation was well aware that they were under attack, the Fort's defense systems were surely online and would shoot down the incoming missile before it could connect to it's target. It was possible to close the ground to the target before firing the weapon, though it be extremely dangerous and risky; just the kind of thing she wanted.

Spinning the Glint into a spiral to evade the few missiles that were able to lock onto her, Elise brought the Fort into her view while scanning the horizon to gather as much data on the active enemy elements as possible; three Salamis cruisers and nine mobile suits with more launching. There was also one more ship, one that she found particularly interesting; the _Cerberus_. "They made it this far, huh?" She scoffed as she watched the ship heading for a dock on Fort Page, in no shape to continue combat after the damage dealt by Aye's men, all the while hatching a brilliant yet sinister plan; if she timed her shot right she could not only destroy the fort but that ship as well, creating an excellent finishing act to her symphony of destruction.

Looking around as more Jegans launched to bring the total number of enemy suits to eleven she knew she would have to act fast, as even she couldn't take on the whole garrison force alone. Bringing herself to perform a large orbital loop around the nearest colony she ejected the first propellant tank from her back, making sure that she saved enough in reserve to escape back to the fleet when she was done with her prey. Slashing her way through an incoming strike fighter as she lined herself up with Fort Page, she prepped her remaining missiles and boosted forward at max power; bypassing the first few mobile suits that had followed her except for one unlucky Jegan who was bisected in two as she whizzed past.

"We've got to stop that suit!" A Federation pilot cried out as another pointed towards the streak of red, now heading towards the Fort Page through the darkness of space. "I-It's coming for the base!" He called as the Federal forces began to create a barrier between the oncoming mobile suit and their port, turning to watch as Tegan emerged from the hangar of the _Cerberus_ and quickly made his way towards the front of the defensive line. "Listen to me; that suit is way too fast, she will just go around us. We need to attack." Tegan commanded as several of the defenders looked to him in confusion. Having never seen or heard this man before, the only sign of his rank or authority was the rare and advanced mobile suit he piloted, though it wasn't enough for some of them to be convinced they should follow.

"Attack? Are you kidding me, she will tear us apart!" One of the pilots argued as Tegan growled at their defiance, regardless of the fact that they surely did not know who he was, let alone Cerberus. "She will kill us regardless if we do nothing, and what we need to do is attack! If you want to even stand a chance at survival you need to follow me!" He repeated himself as he boosted forward to intercept the swift moving Newtype, several of the Jegan's following behind him while the rest remained back to defend the Fort.

Seeing the welcoming party including the remaining Trevelyn brother coming towards her, the woman grinned from ear to ear at the challenge presented to her; his presence now standing out amongst the rest of the pilots. "So baby Tegan has come out to play." Elise taunted as she dodged the incoming slew of bolt discharges and solid projectiles, returning fire in bursts from her beam rifle; the Fort still focused in her mind as she prepared to unleash her strike. "Hopefully you fair better than your brother." She added in a sarcastic hum as Tegan scowled, unhappy to hear her talk down on his brother. "Don't speak of my brother you whore; he was twice the person any Spacenoid could ever be!" He called back in anger as he attempted to shoot the Glint down with his beam rifle; failing to do so as the mobile suit darted back and forth to avoid the single-shot bolts of energy with a laugh.

"This is fun; I like it best when my prey fights back!" She replied, dodging an oncoming Jegan and shooting him the back as she passed by. She was almost within range to directly fire the missile into the port, and had just now begun to receive fire from the point defense weapons scattered across both the satellite itself and as well as the cruisers scrambling to defend it. Two of the cruisers had escaped what would be the blast radius while one remained docked; soon to be two with the _Cerberus'_ approach. Did the boy really believe it was best to dock their ship during the middle of her onslaught? Did he truly thing he could stop her? Angling himself so that he would be directly in the Glint's path of travel, Tegan drew his beam saber from it's forearm mount and waited, knowing that his actions would be the deciding factor; let down by all of his allied pilots surrounding him. None of them had what it would take to bring the beast down. "I'll show you fun!" Tegan cried out as he boosted headlong towards the Glint, waiting to activate his saber until almost the last moment as the two suits locked blades for a split second.

Surprised by such a brazen move, the woman smirked in satisfaction. Just as she had sensed an awakening in Amaury with Sam's death, he too had begun to emit much more powerful psychic readings, though still not as strong as the boy in the Jaeger. The contact lasting only a split second before she dodged to the side to avoid his parrying swing, the tip of his blade carving a deep gouge into one of the Glint's long protective shoulder wings, severing it from the machine's body. Growling in anger at the damage done to her machine, she ejected the last missile from her suit and guided it directly towards the satellite while boosting at maximum thrust up and away from Tegan; the man's attack serving as the perfect distraction for her to gain the advantage.

Seeing the missile slip past them Tegan gasped and broke free of his combat against the woman, attempting to chase the ordnance as it rocketed towards both the Fort and his crippled ship in seeing now that his first mate had made a egregious mistake in attempting to dock at Fort Page. "Alexander, get the _Cerberus_ out of there!" Tegan tried to warn his mothership as he opened fire on the missile with his vulcan weapons, though it dodged both the point defenses and his weapons with ease. Was she controlling the missile with her suit? Surely with the way she was flying she had a Psycommu of some sorts, and that would explain why the missile was making its way through the sea of fire with relative ease.

"Come on you bastard!" He called out, trying one last time to shoot down the missile to save both his ship and the satellite before ceasing his chase; knowing that he had failed and if he travelled any closer he too would be consumed in the explosion. Watching as the projectile closed the distance towards Fort Page, he closed his eyes as the missile penetrated deep into the fortress and detonated, consuming the entire satellite and its docks in hell-fire. Having not fully docked at the time of the impact the _Cerberus_ was saved from complete destruction as the blast severed the remaining engine pod from it's fuselage and tossed it slowly off course into space as fire spread across it's compartments, though the Salamis cruiser still docked was not so lucky; reacting and exploding as well due to its connections to the satellites fuel stores.

Opening his eyes to see the destruction for himself, Tegan cried out in anger at the loss of Federal lives and immediately began to search the sky for the Scarlet Glint; his senses bringing his eyes to her just as it disappeared on the horizon on a course to return back to the fleet and well outside of any hope for him to catch her. "Damnit!" He called out as the girl switched off the tap she had established into the Federal communications channel with a heavy sigh. Her propellant supply now below the halfway mark, she had no choice but to break the engagement off, no matter how badly she wished to continue. "I'll see you all soon." She whispered quietly to herself, her taste for destruction sated for the moment as she turned to her communications panel and manually entered a frequency from her memory before she moved too far away from the colonies.

Connecting to the frequency, her stern face returned and her voice stabilized as if nothing had happened. "Admiral Krupp," The girl began as she ejected the finally fuel pod from the booster unit; it's weight unneeded and unnecessary for the home stretch back to the carriers. "The relays are gone, Side 3 is isolated from the rest of the Earth's Sphere. You may begin." The woman called out into the void, waiting a few short seconds for the delayed response. "Thank you, miss Ridden." The old man's scruffy voice replied, the communication fuzzy from both Elise's current distance from Side 3 as well as Krupp's untraceable location deep within the Movement's headquarters; now turned into a fortress as a precaution for the upcoming battle. "I will be sure to thank your father for lending us such an excellent pilot." The polite old man added as the woman sat in silence, though secretly she turned back to the Federation's channel in expectation of the coming broadcast.

Taking a deep breath, Krupp looked around to the men and women he had surrounded himself with; each one having trained and waited for this day for a long time. "It's time." He calmly stated, adjusting the tie on his blue suit before walking up on a makeshift stage set up for the purpose of this broadcast. He had practiced his speech several times, but even the old, seasoned man could not deny the nervous feeling he felt across his body and the tightness in his chest. His eyes focusing on General Ishim in the distance who simply gave him a thumb up in reassurance, bringing a light laugh to the Admiral as he set little reminder cards on the podium in front of him.

"Let us begin." He stated as the camera in front of him turned on, followed by a light that signified that he was about to broadcast. All across Side 3 electronic display screens, billboards and radio stations went dark, though their functionality had become rather disarrayed due to the destruction of the relay network. The team of technicians at the Movement's headquarters also managed to tap into and broadcast over all radio channels, both recreational and military, including those being used by the Federal Garrison as they scrambled to conduct damage control the Elise's attack. After a few short moments of darkness the screens illuminated once more to the sight of Krupp, standing tall amongst the dark background of the water treatment plant's basement.

"My fellow Side 3 residents," He began, staring right to the camera in the most professional manner he could attempt to portray. "I am Walter Krupp, ex-Principality of Zeon and Republic of Zeon Admiral, as well as a veteran of the One Year War. I'm sure by now that you all have noticed the disruption taking place across the colonies, whether it be telecommunication, advertisement or so on and so forth. This was all done with one intention; to allow me to deliver my message uninterrupted and free of Federal intervention. It has been eleven years now that the Federation has ruled unopposed over the people of space following the Third Neo-Zeon War. Eleven years since we gave up our autonomy, not by force, but in the trust and good faith that the Federation had learned from their ways and would keep us safe. A trust that in the last few years was proven to be false and misplaced; a trust broken with the horrific events that took place nearly a year ago on Dresden. Thirty six colonists killed, sixty more injured and for doing little more than making their voices heard against the suffering endured here in space." Krupp stated out into the crowd of what certainly had to be almost all of Side 3, including the Federal garrison, despite efforts to kill the transmission before it could go any further. Now closing in on the colonies the revolutionary fleet could hear the radio transmission albeit without picture, though it didn't matter; just the sound of Krupp's confidence and strong voice was enough to remind those in the Movement just what they had come so far to do, and what was now within their grasp.

"We should not have to live in fear that we will be slaughtered on our own doorsteps; that our neighbors, friends, husbands, wives, sons and daughters will go to school or work and never return because the Federation deemed it so." The Admiral continued as the fleet continued to move forward at a steady pace, the pilots and crew all paying close attention to their leader's words, including the boy in the Jaeger, who's mind seemed to focused in on every word the old man spoke.

"I, like so many of you brave men and women who stand up every day to the Federation, refuse to be any further victimized by the corrupt regime that has become our daily reality. I refuse to allow what heinous acts occurred in Dresden to ever happen again. The Federation has lost their right to rule over our colonies, and today we will show them what we can do. With the strength of all of our people combined we will overcome all adversity in the face of overwhelming odds, and we will break free of these chains. Those of you who are unsure about fighting for your freedom, or who currently are enlisted in the Federation's military forces must ask yourself this; are you willing to risk it all and be part of the solution? Or are you simply going to sit idle and watch as your people continue to die?" The determined Admiral proceeded forward, stopping only to breath and contain his emotion, which even with only hearing his words was heavy and passionate.

Spotting a shimmer on the horizon, Amaury's eyes widened and his ears stopped listening for a brief moment as they began to ring; Elise had returned. Boosting forward at nominal speed with his squad leader closely in tow, Amaury set off towards the light in the distance to complete his task of assisting in her return. "The Scarlet Glint has come back into sensor range with no signs of any enemy forces so far." The EWACS operator advised as the two pilots continued out towards their returning ally who had slowed at the complete consumption of the booster units fuel reservoir, though her suit was still faster than any other in the fleet. Watching the two pilots approach, Elise slowed her speed so that they would fall into formation on either side of her, scoffing at their move to assist her, despite the fact that there was nothing to assist with. "I told you that I didn't need any help." She stated in an annoyed fashion causing Geoff to smirk.

"Yeah, we know. We saw the explosion from here. That wasn't the relay; whatever you hit was massive." He chuckled as Amaury focused on the Glint; the Jaeger's monoeye meeting the red machine's before moving to the slightly damaged booster wing and scuffed paint from the impact of solid projection weapons. She went headlong into the Federation forces and escaped with just that? How was that possible? "How many were there?" The boy asked out of curiosity, still unsure on their enemies total numbers, regardless of Marcus' educated guess. He had a general insight, but Elise was there and saw it for her own eyes. At the boys question, Elise rolled her eyes, signaled that he was a bit apprehensive, though his voice showed confidence in the success of the upcoming attack. "Alot." She simply replied, leaving Amaury with still many questions, though he knew not to aggravate the woman any more with questions. "Do we stand a chance?" Geoff questioned next as her attention shifted towards the squadron leader flying to her right in his Rick Dom. "We'll see." She added as the fleet came into view in the distance.

Coming back to a stop on the deck of the _Warsaw_ , Amaury watched as the _Haakon_ deployed roughly twelve fighter craft in preparation for the assault, armed with firepower to deal with a variety of threats as best as such a small craft could. They were in the home stretch now, and would use everything possible to hit the Federation as hard and fast as they could. They were so close to their goal now that they could taste it, and no matter what, there was no turning back. There was no retreat or surrender. In death or glory, this was where they would make their stand. "Today we aim not to conquer, but to liberate; not for revenge, but to preserve the safety and a prosperity of all who live in Side 3. Today I say to all of you, my brothers and sisters, rise up! Rise up, and take back our future!" Krupp called out his decree as Amaury tuned back in, listening with great intent at their leaders call. They all had risen long ago, but how many more would follow in their footsteps? Could it be done? "Rise!" He commanded once more as all across the colonies cheering could be heard, the loudest roars originating from the masses of protesters who had gathered in the streets over the last few days, and the influx of newcomers to their side.

As discussed with those in the Federation who were set to turn traitor, Krupp had issued a three hour window in which the Federal forces occupying their home would be given the option to surrender peacefully, defect to the Republic of Zeon fleet, or be destroyed mercilessly. They would not know exactly what their odds had become until the timer ran out, which now publicly displayed on all screens Krupp had just disappeared from. Taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat that had accumulated during his heated speech from his forehead, Krupp looked up towards General Ishim, walking towards him across the large room of clapping Movement members. "Excellent, excellent work sir." Ishim stated as he stopped before the Admiral, a wide smile across his features. "Do you think they will fight?" He asked as Krupp smirked and took a deep breath. "Of course they will. But we will beat them. I have faith in all of us." The Admiral replied as he looked out at all of his followers in the room, ranging from young to old, each there to fight for their lives against the tyranny they find themselves pitted against. "We will win."


	22. Chapter 22: The Liberation Of Side 3

"How could this have happened? How could we have been so blind?" Cousland angrily debated with himself as he walked back and forth inside his study aboard his flagship; a modified Ra Cailum-class battleship known as the _Due Diligence._ Having been nearly all the way to Side 3 before Elise's attack, he and his crew had also witnessed the massive explosion that was Fort Page from afar, though they did not understand what exactly had happened until they came closer and saw the destruction with their own eyes. "We should have known they would come here to Side 3, the site of where the treachery all began nearly sixty years ago." He continued as he scowled and turned to look at the remaining Trevelyn brother, stared at an electronic tablet displaying the Rebellion's countdown timer.

"How could we have known? They could have gone anywhere." Tegan replied, his eyes watching the timer drop below the one hour mark as he did so. All across the colonies what had once been peaceful protesting had now erupted into riots and open firefights between the remaining colonial law enforcement who had not declared neutrality and the protesters, likely given weapons in preparation for this exact intention. Fires were burning, infrastructure and transportation points had been shut down; the colonies had fallen into chaos with the goal that this new Republic of Zeon would swoop in like heros to end the suffering.

"What a joke." Tegan whispered to himself as he broke free of this thoughts and dropped the tablet onto the table in front of him in displeasure. "Do these people really believe they will be free by fighting the garrison? Even if they win, there will just be more troops sent to quell the uprising. The days or even a week or two before the next fleet arrival would give them little advantage, if any. What could they possibly hope to achieve?" He questioned out loud as Cousland groaned under his breath in thought, scratching his beard while staring out of the nearest window into space. The Federal garrison could be seen gathering outside, unsure where to go or what to do. So far no hint of the revolutionary fleet had been seen, aside from the red mobile suit he had watched on a recording destroying the fort and relay stations, leaving the fleet unsure how to respond.

"This Admiral Krupp… I remember him from the war." He started to reply, focusing as two of the five remaining Salamis-Kai cruisers followed one another on patrol towards one of the nearest colonies. "He was intelligent back then and I'm sure even more so now, and voice was not that of a man who did not have some kind of plan for after the battle. They are planning something, although I am not sure what." Cousland finished his thought, turning his head towards Tegan as he did so. "Our only viable course of action will be to fight them all; the insurrectionists, the traitors from our own ranks and the colonists who participate in the uprising too. I will spread the word that they will all be considered terrorists and traitors to the Federation. The only way we'll end this right here and now is if we show the people of the Earth Sphere that this can not be tolerated; that this sort of treachery will end in disastrous failure every time."

With a heavy sigh Admiral Cousland turned away from his young subordinate and stared back out into space, this time focusing on the remains of the _Cerberus_ as rescue and firefighting vessels attempted to finish suppressing any fire onboard as well as rescuing the survivors of Elise's attack. "We failed to show the administration the error of their ways, and now as I have told them for years, it has really come back around to bite us right in the ass. It's up to us to stop this from spreading, plunging humanity once more into conflict. As such, I personally will be taking command of this operation." The old man stated as Tegan looked on, heeding his words with great interest. Both he and his late brother had grown quite fond of Cousland and looked up to him not only as their superior, but as a mentor and role model, leading every word the man spoke to be taken to heart and his orders to be followed without question.

"Without long range communication we can't call for reinforcements, and with the overly lax protocols and laid back staff back on Earth, they will likely wait at least three days before sending a party to investigate the relay outage, and even then it will maybe consist of a frigate and some escort craft. We are on our own here to make due with what we have, and we have just a short period of time to come up with a plan." Cousland complained, immediately driving his loyal follower to speak up. "Your plan will lead us to victory, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure we eradicate these scum from existence once and for all." Tegan replied, bringing a small grin to the previously devoid Admiral's face. "I know you will Tegan. You will play a vital part in all of this, just as your brother had for many, many years. Now, go get ready. The most important moment of your life starts soon." Cousland stated as Tegan saluted without hesitation, convinced that they would be victorious by overwhelming numbers and the Admiral's glorious command. "Yes sir!"

Having not returned back to the ship after their launch in support of Elise's attack, the eight Republic mobile suits remained in escort of their mother carriers as their destination could now be seen in the distance. "There they are, the colonies where this all began." Marcus said with a small grin, seeing his long time home as they inches ever closer. He hated to admit it, but he had begun to feel a bit homesick over the last few weeks, though Amaury had felt a little different. For so long he had lived grounded to the streets of Dresden that, while he did feel some nostalgia seeing it now again, he was unsure if he wished to ever return. "Let's not get all googly eyed now, the battle hasn't started yet. Remain on your toes." Geoff instructed as Amaury looked down to the timer on his communications display showing that they now had less than twenty minutes; his heart rate increasing as his hands shook from nervous tension. How many more will die for this cause? How many of them his friends?

We are passing into sensor range for both the enemy vessels as well as our own. It's only a matter of seconds before both force's strength is revealed. Be prepared for anything the Federation can throw at us." The EWACS operator warned only seconds before his screen began to light up with signals of the hostile presence at Side 3, as well as massive amounts of debris from the Glint's run. "Signatures report that there are five Salamis-Kai sized vessels, as well as what appears to be a single Ra Cailum class battleship and several corvette-class support vessels. Mobile suit numbers remain unclear, but can be expected to number at least twenty in strength." The operator continued as the information came in, tracking the movements of two vessels towards them from their right flank.

"Caution; two of the Salamis-class vessels are approaching independently from the group, escorted by seven mobile suits. Per Admiral Krupp's orders, any approaching Federal vessels prior to the count down's end are to be given an opportunity to state their intentions prior to being engaged. Attempting contact now." He added for a third time as Geoff moved up and off of the deck of the _Bastille_ , beginning to fly towards the vessels to gain better visual contact. "Amaury and Tome follow me, Marcus you set up shop with that rifle of yours. Douglas, Aye, Drex and Alpha; maintain the perimeter and wait for further instructions." Geoff commanded as both Amaury and Tome scrambled to follow closely behind, listening to Alpha scoff in displeasure of the plan at hand. "Leaving him behind with us? If anyone should die first, it should be him!" The boy complained as Douglas scowled.

"Why don't you go then, huh? Do us a favor and rid us of that mouth of yours." The newest member of the fleet replied without delay prior to Geoff attempted to intervene but was beat to it by Tome, aggravated by the squabbling taking place at the dawn of their moment of truth. "The both of you better shut the fuck up. Not one more of us is going to die, and if I hear you wishing that on any of our fleet I'll kill you myself." She growled as silence spread over the radio channel, the majority of those listening afraid to reply, even her closest friends who had never before heard such a serious and heated sentence come from the girl's mouth.

"Revolutionary fleet command this is Captain Eso of the Federation Salamis Kai-Class Cruiser _Saber_. We have received your message and we too feel the plight of the people living under Federation rule in space; the crew of both my vessel as well as those on board the _Interdictor_ behind us wish to pledge allegiance to your cause." The captain advised as Monty took the lead to communicate with what would supposedly become their reinforcement. " _Saber_ , _Interdictor_ ; I am Captain McNeil of the Zeon Reformation Movement fleet and your point of contact for the time being. Admiral Krupp's orders specified that you were not to break loyalty to the Federation until the final ten minutes of the countdown. Explain the deviation from the plan to prevent your own destruction under suspicion of malicious intent." Monty ordered to the two traitor vessels as Geoff and his wingmen neared.

"We apologize for breaking the predetermined agreement, however the loyalist fleet is assembling into a formation as we speak, and we feared that if we waited any longer to defect we would not be able to effectively avoid destruction. That said, we now have multiple hostiles on our tail and are requesting assistance." Captain Eso replied to Monty's displeased order as the wing of three rebel mobile suits closed in on the small traitor fleet, instantly spotting that they had switched every running light across the hull they possibly could to glow red as a sign of uniformity with the Movement forces, as well as the glow of the pursuing enemies. "You see them?" Geoff asked both Amaury and Tome, both of which acknowledged and set course for the hostiles; three anti-capital ship corvettes and twelve RGM-89D Jegans similar to what they had fought a few days prior, though in the standard Federation paint scheme and without any noticeable beam weapons.

"Let's get em!" Tome called out as the three Zeon mobile suits rushed past their new allies, surprising their new team mates with both their speed and willingness to fight the enemy at a five to one disadvantage. "They outnumber use, just be careful." Geoff advised, armed with confidence in the skills and capabilities of both of his subordinates as well as the knowledge that most of the Federation's fighting force had never even seen combat. Nearing the group of hostiles Amaury's eyes focused on the nearest corvette, preparing to fire its anti-ship mega particle cannon at one of the Salamis cruisers; something that could not be allowed. Taking a deep breath as time slowed down he closed his eyes and remembered his promise to Carina; one that he intended to keep. "I will come home." He whispered to himself as he exhaled and opened his eyes, boosting forward at high thrust; rocketing past both Geoff and Tome towards his target.

"Corvette _Shield_ you are cleared to open fire." Cousland's voice called out to the attack force he had dispatched after the traitorous cruisers, wanting to destroy them before they could even attempt to reinforce the insurrectionists. "Roger that, preparing to fire. Be advised we have hostiles approaching; three mobile suits." The corvette called back to the _Due Diligence_ , now marked as the flagship of the loyalist fleet, causing Cousland to scoff. "And? Shoot them down, they are untrained terrorists, there is no way they can be that hard to hit." The Admiral responded in annoyance as the Corvette pilot spotted one of the mobile suits breaking from the group, heading right towards him with great speed. "T-There is one coming right at us, and i-its fast!" The pilot called back as Cousland prepared to speak, stopping when Tegan instead began to transmit on the radio frequency.

"It's him." He stated, now sensing the boy who had caused him so much pain as he approached from the void of space. "It's the boy who killed Delacout." He growled, boosting towards the attack force from his previous position near their flagship. Hearing Tegan's words, Cousland groaned, listening as the radio began to erupt with the starting combat of what was surely to be a long battle. Dodging in and out of fire, Amaury made his way down onto the Corvette; slamming his feet into the top of the vessel with ferocious force. "G-Guah, he's on top of me!" The pilot called out before being obliterated by a shot from the boy's bazooka as well as friendly fire from his own forces as they frantically tried to shoot down the swift moving suit. "Holy fucking shit, w-what is that thing?!" Another Federal pilot called as the Jaeger approached his friend and sawed the mobile suit in half with a veil of bullets, turning to face Tome as she approached. "Pay attention to me, not your friends!" She taunted as she slammed her heat hawk into his cockpit, killing him instantly before moving towards the next target while watching Amaury chase after the next of the corvettes; crushing the cockpit with the Jaeger's foot to both disable the craft and boost away to avoid incoming fire.

Huffing in frustration that her teammate was scoring kills against the big game, Tome targeted the last corvette as it frantically tried to score damaging hits on the cruisers before he too was destroyed. "Come on… come on!" He growled, locking on and firing shot after shot as the girl approached from below. "I don't think so!" She yelled while slamming her heat hawk into the underbelly of the ship, tearing it open as she boosted against his path of travel. Losing all thrust control, the vessel spun wildly before exploding into a massive cloud of scrap metal and fire, leaving the girl free to attack the next target. "How'd you like that?" She asked, looking to Amaury on their video channel while sticking out her tongue though the boy simply shook his head and maintained his focus forward on the battle.

"Beginners luck." He taunted as he dodged a Jegan's beam saber; the rookie pilot inside fast, but not fast enough. "You Zeon scum!" The pilot called out as Amaury again shifted his legs to avoid the strike, allowing enough time for Geoff the score his second kill of the battle so far by shearing the suit in half with his superheat blade. "You shouldn't play with your food." Geoff called to the boy over radio knowing the Federation pilots were listening and that psychological warfare would go far against the greenhorn pilots. Knowing what Geoff was doing the boy grinned before boosting away from the drifting Jegan carcass. Trying to think of something witty to reply with, he became side tracked as he began sensing something else, recognizable to him albeit stronger than before; Tegan.

"An unknown type mobile suit is approaching your location from the Federal control zone." EWACS warned though Amaury's eyes had already spotted the familiar Jesta heading towards them; it's head and arm repaired bringing it back up to full combat strength. Turning towards the oncoming threat Amaury attempted to score an early blow, firing a round from his bazooka as the hostile approached right towards him; hellbent on striking down the opponent before him. "You!" He screamed as he cut the oncoming ordinance in half with his beam saber and boosted straight for Amaury, who quickly stowed his machine gun on his back and deployed his own weapon to lock blades with his oncoming adversary.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Tegan yelled in anger as electricity arced forth from the point of contact on their weapons, both boys pushing against one another to gain the upper hand. His ears ringing with such intensity that it forced him to wince in pain. "I don't think so." Amaury growled in reply, swinging his bazooka to fire at the Jesta which forced Tegan to evade and break their deadlock. "I don't know how you learned how to fly but all of the skill in the universe won't save you from me!" Tegan continued to taunt as the Jaeger fired several bursts of its head Vulcans at the Jesta, though it continued to come towards him, regardless of the possibly damaging small arms fire, locking blades together once more, though this time Tegan grabbed ahold of the bazooka's barrel and held it pointing away from him.

Annoyed by the man's move, Amaury struck the Jaeger's knee into the Jesta's cockpit and pushed away, discharging two of his missiles towards him, though Tegan simply shot them down and continued his chase. Much to Amaury's frustration Tegan flew just like his brother, meaning that once more he ran the risk of being locked in stalemate; something he wished to avoid at all costs. Holding his breath Amaury cut his thrust and allowed Tegan to pass him, carefully using his senses to avoid the swing of the Jesta's blade as he attempted to strike back with his bazooka, only to fail as his enemy evaded the attack.

What Tegan didn't expect was the rapid approach of Geoff's Rick Dom or for the massive machine to slam straight into him, sending him off course and forcing him to dodge the swing of the massive superheat rod it used as a melee weapon. "How dare you intervene in my fight!" Tegan scolded the squad leader who now challenged him, chasing after the Jesta as they darted across the sky. "I don't know what this one is capable of Amaury, but nobody fights anyone from Cerberus alone anymore." Geoff stated as he remembered Sam's demise, searching out into space for Tome just as she executed her third Jegan, bringing the enemy forces down beyond half strength as the remainder began to route. "Tome, are you alright down there with the stragglers?" He questioned as Tome snickered into her microphone, already chasing after the Federal forces in an attempt to whittle them down further in their panic.

"Are you kidding me? It's like shooting fish in a barrel. You weren't kidding when you said these Naval forces had little combat experience." She replied, gunning down yet another Jegan as it attempted to escape. "Well, alright then. Amaury, let's get this guy." Geoff instructed as Amaury boosted forward at top speed to regroup with his squad leader, passing him by as took the lead in pursuit of the remaining Trevlyn brother. Looking back at both his foes in pursuit and his own forces as they fled, Tegan scowled. ; these cowards were not men, let alone soldiers of the Federation. "Why are you retreating?" Tegan growled angrily to his forces, evading a round from Amaury's rocket launcher in the process as one of his surviving pilots called back to him in fear. "S-Sir, we have suffered heavy losses, and-" He attempted to explain though the infuriated special forces leader was not in the mood for cowardice, and cut him off. "And what? You are afraid to suffer casualties? This is war, pilot. People are going to die. If-" Tegan scolded before he himself was cut off, this time by Admiral Cousland who gained priority over their radio frequency.

"And I ordered them to retreat. There is no point in throwing away their lives so that you can chase your vendetta across the void in a feverish rage. You would have heard this order had you been paying attention." The unpleasant Admiral scolded harshly as Tegan grunted, flying his suit backwards so that he may discharge his beam rifle down at the oncoming men who simply avoided his weapon's discharges. "Now are you going to retreat and regroup with the second wave or am I going to be forced to label you a traitor as well?" Cousland questioned in the silence that crept over their radio channel before Tegan reluctantly answered a few moments later, directing his course back towards the allied force. "Yes sir." He simply replied, looking back as the three Zeon mobile suits regrouped and halted their pursuit at the sight of the full Federal fleet heading their direction.

"Let's go, finish prepping the suit for launch!" One of Carina's lead deck workers called out as he floated past her causing her to look up at the man above, then towards the suit he spoke of; the Scarlet Glint. Carina was still a bit surprised both in what Elise was capable of, able to see the destruction around Side 3 from their current position, as well as her desire to return to the battlefield despite the apparent completion of her mission. Until a short few days ago the woman had made it painfully clear that she had no intention to assist the fleet in their endeavors aside from the task she was specifically brought aboard to complete; an intention driven home by her cold and distant attitude towards everyone. What had changed? What had caused Elise to want to help now? She wouldn't complain as she was a great asset to their team and knowing she was out there helping her friends was reassuring.

Spotting the blonde haired woman as she approached the Glint, Carina waved to her, bringing her to a stop as she stared; unsure if was just intended to be a kind gesture or of she needed something from her. "Yes?" She asked across the lane in a cold tone as Carina blinked, not expecting her words. "Oh, uh. I was just saying hello, that's all." Carina replied, the woman's eyes still upon her as she did so. Just saying hello? Why did she insist on these friendly little gestures? Didn't she see they were just a waste of time? She had to have; maybe she just didn't care. "Hello." The woman replied, turning her attention back to the Glint as he eyes lifted up to the deactivated sensor unit in it's head. "You are worried about Amaury again, are you not?" She asked, still able to sense the boy outside, as well as Tegan; the reason she was going back out to fight in the first place, her desire to fight the Newtype interrupted earlier in the battle. "I'm always worried about him." Carina admitted, as her cheeks darkened a bit.

"I know I shouldn't, but I just can't help it." The girl added, floating towards the woman a bit, much to her annoyance. She wanted to get out into the fight, not have a conversation. "I can still sense him; he is fine. I need to get out there to help, just in case. Alright?" The woman asked, trying her best to remain nice. The girl had a good heart, and despite her distaste for such things, she admired her for it. "There is nothing wrong with worrying." She added, bringing a small smile to Carina's features. "Alright, I understand. Be careful, alright?" Carina asked as Elise, in rare form, smiled back to the girl before making her way into the cockpit of the Glint to wait for clearance to launch.

Just as she had done for their last battle Carina maintained possession of a headset under her helmet, closely monitoring their forces so she would have a bit of a better idea what was going on, what repairs and rearm were needed and most importantly to the girl, how everyone was doing; especially Amaury. "Warning: the hostile fleet is heading straight towards us; mobile suit count is now at twenty seven. All forces, prepare for open combat." The EWACS operator warned across the radio channel as the girls stomach twisted, knowing that soon they would be right in the middle of it all. Looking around at the numerous crewmen, she waved her arms and called out to gain their attention. "Alright everyone; helmets on!" She ordered as a precaution, knowing that a hull breach into the hangar was capable of occurring during such operations, and anyone without a helmet could easily be killed.

Above the hangar on the bridge of the _Bastille_ Monty stood and watched the approaching hostile forces while keeping a vigilant eye out for his shuttle as well. "Carina, I think it's time to show off those weapons you installed on my ships." He called to the girl below on the radio frequency, believing this to be the perfect time to test such an expensive yet ambitious upgrade. "Are you sure they will work?" He teased, knowing very well that she wouldn't have allowed the fleet to go into combat without its primary weapons primed for war. "They will work. Each launcher should have two anti-ship missiles, as well as four high explosive warheads for mobile suits; the gunners are trained on them." Carina replied, a bit annoyed by Monty's lack of faith as one of the gunners of the weapons came across the radio, reassuring her of the work she had done. "Don't worry miss Carina; we're ready to go, just as you taught us!" He claimed in confidence as Carina grinned, bringing a smirk to Monty's lips. "Good. Target the oncoming mobile suits first; disrupt their formation and shatter their morale." He ordered as the two missile turrets turned and began to calculate firing trajectories for the most effective use of their warheads.

"Amaury, Tome, let's get back to the fleet. Fleet defense forces, be prepared to engage incoming vessels." Geoff advised as the three made their way back towards the fleet, noticing now that the two traitor Salamis cruisers now joined their fleet of three, bringing their total of capital ships to five, and their mobile suits to fifteen, not including Elise. "Roger, falling in." Tome replied, moving in behind Geoff and Amaury, who had both sustained minor damage in the opening engagement. "Do either of you need to land for repair or rearm?" Geoff questioned as both shook their head, and declined.

"No damage, still good on fuel. I'm alright." Amaury stated as he looked to his control panel, noticing the missile launchers on the bow of the _Warsaw_ and _Bastille_ had opened and were aiming towards them. "I'm fine as well, but we better avoid our ship's weapons!" Tome called out in response as the three boosted to the sides to avoid the opening volley of two missiles from each ship, heading straight towards the enemy fleet. "That right there is a beautiful sight." Marcus laughed as he watched to ship's weapons open up, the flash of their primary drives lighting up his cockpit because of his position's close proximity to the weapons. "Don't let them hit you on accident Amaury." He followed with a joke in seeing Amaury dodge one of the missiles and turn to watch the devastation unfold in the distance; the ordinance exploding in the distance a few seconds later, lighting up the dark void with massive flashes of bright light as the Federal forces scrambled to avoid the consuming fire.

"What the hell was that?!" A Jegan pilot called out in fear, watching two of his friends be vaporized and his own suit peppered with debris and fire as Tegan flew through the same fireball. "Evasive maneuvers, keep moving forward! They are trying to slow down the attack!" He ordered, spotting another volley of oncoming missiles while Cousland watched on from his bridge; the capital ships obviously not the target of their current attack. "Quite the weaponry they've amassed from that little pirate outpost they took a detour to." He stated out loud to his crewman, looking to his left and right at the three remaining cruisers at his disposal. " _Jaburo_ , _Titanius_ , _Lady May_ , we press forward with the assault; no quarter will be given." Cousland ordered as the four vessels maintained their line formation into the fire, watching as the second volley of missiles struck and took with it another three mobile suits. "Status report?" The Admiral asked, the hostile fleet now visible in the distance, almost within firing range with the volley of missiles ceasing. "Twenty two suits remain, no damage to the capital ships." His communications officer replied, bringing a grin to the old man's features. "Excellent. Tegan, launch your attack." He ordered as the remaining mobile suits darted forward at maximum speed, forming a large wall of steel, headed by the single Jesta.

"The missiles destroyed five mobile suits; the remaining twenty two are rushing towards us as we speak." The EWACS operator replied to Monty's request as his eyes narrowed on the surviving enemy force that now challenged them to open fleet combat; something he had intended to avoid ever since he was originally made filled in on the plan. "If it's a battle they want, we'll give 'em a war." Monty replied, pointing his hand towards the three mainline cruisers he now had at his disposal. " _Haakon_ , take the _Saber_ and the _Interdictor_ and move to engage the oncoming fleet. The _Warsaw_ and _Bastille_ will continue to support you from here. Mobile suit forces, you are cleared to engage the enemy fleet as you see fit; just keep an eye out for any calls to help defend the cruisers." Monty ordered as Amaury's heartbeat began to race. The first engagement was nothing more than a warm up; this was the wave that would decide their fate. Turning his attention to their forces, including all of the strike craft and the seven Jegan's now on their side, displaying what appeared to be red cloth of some type tied around their shoulder hoist-points to signify they were a part of the revolution, Geoff took a deep breath and looked out at the oncoming forces.

"Alright everyone, this is it. We fight until the last man; no retreat, no surrender. Only when the last of them has been destroyed or fled the battlefield will we have won. Focus on the mobile suits for now, but if you see an opportunity to quickly disable any of their capital ships, go for it, without getting yourself killed." The man spoke as his Dom's monoeye shifted across the hostile mobile suits, trying to specify which target he wished to engage; deciding that once more he would engage the remaining active Cerberus division mobile suit, knowing what it and the pilot were capable of. "Is everybody ready?" He asked, as the group steadied themselves. "Let's kick some ass." Marcus replied with a grin as Tome nodded and chirped a reply, followed by Aye and his crew. "Damn right we are ready, it's time to clean their clocks!" Drex added with a hearty laugh as Aye joined in with his longtime friend. "Like we always have Drex old boy, like we always have!" He laughed, though the third member of their crew remained silent amongst his leader's cheer and the cheers of those piloting the strike craft.

Hearing the cheering, Douglas sighed and shook his head, maintaining a low expectation for the outcome of the battle, regardless of the success so far. "Let's just get this over with already." He replied, turning his head to look at the Jaeger, whose pilot had yet to say anything. Why was he so quiet? Was he so afraid that he could speak? "What-" Douglas opened his mouth to taunt the boy, freezing as the Jaeger boosted forward towards the enemy, leading the pack towards the enemy. "Hey! Don't hog them all!" Tome called out, following as close behind as possible before the remainder of the mobile force took flight.

Approaching the enemy fleet at high speed, Amaury locked onto the nearest Jegan and fired two of his missiles then broke off to engage another target as they struck the Jegan, blasting it's arm from its torso. Spotting the Jaeger their leader immediately moved in to intercept, though once more Geoff waited for him and struck back, chasing him from Amaury's tail as the boy opened fire in bursts on another target with his machine gun. "Stop getting in my way!" Tegan snapped at Geoff who laughed at the pilot's misplaced fury, striking his Jesta with the heat rod in hand, though it had not yet charged with enough heat to do more than smash the suit to the side violently. "Kid, you are so damn predictable that it's just not funny!" Geoff antagonized the hostile Cerberus, chasing after him to keep him away from Amaury, who now weaved in and out of the enemy ranks, striking multiple targets as he did so; both forces now openly engaged in heavy combat. As ordered, Amaury sought after and spotted the nearest enemy cruiser, designated the _Lady May_ and prepared his fresh bazooka to strike; heading towards it's stern in a green streak across the sky.

These ships had every intention of making their way across the battlefield and striking the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ , and he would not allow that to happen. " _Lady May_ you have a hostile suit locked onto you!" The Federal EWACS provider stated, watching on his sensors from the bridge of the _Due Diligence_ as the swift moving Jaeger advanced quickly towards the foremost ship, the captain of which did not seem to express much concern. "What can one mobile suit do? Point defense guns, open fire!" The captain ordered, attempting to track the Jaeger, though the boy evaded the continuous oncoming fire with ease, causing the captain of the ship to grow nervous. "Why can't you hit him? Shoot him down!" He ordered over his ship's radio as the Jaeger drew near the bridge and passed right by at high speed. "I'm sorry sir, it's like he's anticipating our fire!" One of the gunners called back to the bridge as the Jaeger swung around to the main drive units on the rear of the ship and opened fire with his oversized rocket launcher, tearing the main drive thrusters off of the ship with two well placed shots.

"Sir, the _Lady May_ is dead in the water; that mobile suit disabled her drive units." An officer in charge of damage controls reported to Cousland as the Admiral's eyes focused on the green suit, darting away from the _Lady May_ as quickly as it approached and flying down on top of an unsuspecting Jegan at top speed; tearing into the cockpit with a fatal blow from his heat hawk. So this was the skill of the pilot who killed Delacout? The way he moved that antiquated suit of his made it clear he was a Newtype, but even then he seemed to fly with a certain blood thirsty ferocity that only an inhuman Zeon monster could achieve. "The first cruiser is disabled, thanks to Amaury. Light it up!" Geoff called back to the fleet as both cruise missile launchers focused on the listing vessel, targeting center mass in an attempt to penetrate the armor and cause as much damage as possible. "Target locked, ready to fire!" The gunners called as Monty smirked, feeling the desire to destroy that Amaury was emitting on his gun-run through the enemy forces. He was right about him from the very beginning; high potential and very, very dangerous.

"Open fire!" Monty ordered as the two vessels fired one of their remaining two missiles each, guiding them carefully by the long attached control wire through the battlefield to their final destination; sinking both missiles swiftly into the armor of the _Lady May_. A bit of a delayed reaction, the ship exploded only a moment or two later; torn into pieces by the high yield of both warheads detonating almost simultaneously. "The _Lady May_ has been destroyed, she's going down!" The EWACS operator cheered as cheering erupted all across the Revolutionary fleet, including the hangars, bringing Carina a sigh of relief. They were winning the fight for now and everything was going well. It just needed to stay that way.

Picking his shots carefully, Marcus remained vigilant, firing at mobile suits as they either stopped completely or turned to maneuver, making sure not to waste any of his expensive and limited ammunition. Scoring a kill against a Jegan team leader, identified by the special color of his unit's head armor, he grinned. "Tome, you look like you are almost having fun." He laughed as the girl flew between two enemy mobile suits and engaged both of them in melee combat with her two heat hawks; her new favorite combination of melee weapons. "I think I kind of am!" She replied with a hum, tearing one of her foe's arms from its body before boosting back to avoid the swing of the others beam saber; their blades locking together as the two pushed against one another.

"I'll enjoy killing you, little girl!" The Jegan pilot taunted as Tome blocked and redirected his one armed partner's follow up attack away while maintaining control over their power struggle. "Little girl?" Time huffed, hating that derogatory phrase more than anything else she could be called. She was twenty four years old; just because her voice didn't often show it didn't mean it wasn't true. "I'll show you little girl!" She replied with a growl, lifting her free heathawk to strike the pilot as Aye interrupted her fun, slamming his feet into the Jegan to knock it back. "You are falling behind!" He taunted the curly headed girl as he reared his shield back and slammed it into the Jegan's chest, killing the pilot and destroying the machine with the shield's superheated edge. "Keep up!" He added with a hum as he boosted away in pursuit of another hostile, Tome glaring bullets right into his back as he did so.

"Don't feel bad miss, this is just who he is." Drex explained as he flew past her in pursuit of his illustrious leader, taking fire from a group of several bold Federal pilots in the process and forcing both he and Alpha to take off after them. Regardless of Drex's explanation Tome huffed, annoyed by his intervention with her kill. Watching the whole thing from afar as he lead a small group of the traitor mobile suits on a assault towards one of the two remaining loyalist Salamis cruisers, Douglas couldn't help but laugh. "That's what you get for hiring someone like Aye; out for himself and just himself." Douglas mocked as Alpha's displeasured growl followed, though obeying Tome's orders he remained silent. "Just focused on your attack; don't get our newest pilots killed." Geoff scolded the ex-pirate as both he and Amaury once again fought as a team against the Jesta and Tegan's rage, only further fueled by the destruction of the _Lady May_.

Watching the battle in silence from above, Monty kept one eye on his watch, the encrypted chip he used to contact home now inserted inside with the intention of turning his watch into a one-way communications device designed to alert him to his escape shuttle's proximity. Though, despite his preoccupation with getting as far away from there as possible, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of satisfaction as he watched the battle unfold before him. The surviving pilots he had helped train were performing exceptionally well, attesting to his competence as an instructor as well as his judgment in hand picking Amaury from the crowd that night, sensing the same raw, untapped potential that now helped push him to the top of the Movement's kill counter. Although, he was followed closely behind by Tome, the second of his Newtype discoveries while recruiting for group, regardless of whether or not her abilities had fully developed yet. Both were effective killing machines and just what would be needed to win this war if it was possible, which at the moment seemed so.

"Keep it up guys, they are down a cruiser and have lost seven more mobile suits; fifteen remaining and we will be golden." Monty spoke to the entire navy as a whole, watching out into space as the vector-shaped formation lead by the _Haakon_ now entered firing range of the enemy fleet and began to exchange fire back and forth between one another, taking evasive maneuvers as necessary. Their fleet would not last long in open warfare with the monstrous Ra Calium battleship the enemy claimed as a flagship without mobile suit support, and as such he began to order units to assist both the fleet and the group of mobile suits led by Douglas that already aimed to strike against the hostile warships. "Aye, Drex and Alpha, get over to the primary fleet engagement and keep those Feddys off of Douglas' group." Monty ordered as the three acknowledged and began to fly out to their friendly warships, the leader next turning his attention down to Marcus on the deck of the _Warsaw_.

"Marcus, you focus that rifle on those Salamis cruisers, do as much damage as possible. Tome, Amaury, and Geoff; keep doing the same shit you currently are, I like it." Monty grinned with an attempt to maintain his sarcastic but charming appeal, before looking down at his watch after feeling it vibrate; the colored glow of the LED's now changed from green to yellow, signifying that the time had come to leave this all behind. "All of you are doing a great job, just keep on going. I will be right back; all of this excitement is really making me have to hit the head." Monty lied with a light chuckle to seal his performance as he stood from his chair and vacated the bridge, destined for his prize; the Ares Gundam in the hangar below. Making his way through the hall he removed his headset, allowing it to float uselessly in the dark as he no longer would need it.

"You will not take another Federation life you Zeon rat!" Tegan shouted in anger as he spun at high speed and discharged his beam rifle in conjunction with his self-propelled grenades; the same weapons that had injured Amaury during their last encounter at the hands of his brother. Unwilling to fall for the same trick twice, the boy immediately locked onto and destroyed the first three rockets, which due to their proximity to the others detonated two more, allowing only once to come close and explode, though this time the shrapnel bursts were stopped by the additional armors plates Carina had installed along the soft parts in the Jaeger's cockpit. "You alright?" Geoff asked, seeing the explosion so close to Amaury's cockpit; his question answered as the Jaeger burst through the cloud of dust and began a counter attack against Tegan, unleashing a fierce burst of machine gun fire into the Jesta as he boosted back and away to avoid the spray of moderately damaging munitions. "Yeah I'm fine, just really tired of this asshole!" Amaury growled, forming his longest sentence of the battle so far due to the severity of his concentration.

"Oh, you'll be real tired of me when I take your head back to Earth for everyone to see what happens when you rise against your masters!" Tegan snapped back, only further infuriating the boy, whose unhealed eye began to bleed once again. Taking advantage of the momentum his evading suit had gained, Tegan boosted past Geoff towards Amaury and swung his blade as he discharged his beam weapon. "Shut up already!" The boy replied in anger, opening fire in fully automatic on the approaching suit, which upon closing the distance cut his weapon in half and forced the Jaeger to block with his own beam saber to avoid critical damage. Holding his foe back, Amaury immediately opened fire into his opponent's main sensor with his vulcan guns, cracking the screen before Tegan punched the Jaeger's cockpit with great force, causing Amaury to whip back into his seat and then forward, jerking his injured arm and forcing a scream from his mouth.

Sensing the oncoming strike from Geoff's retaliating swing, Tegan spun around and blocked against the heatrod with the beam saber, lifting his beam rifle to Amaury's cockpit to kill him, though the boy was quick enough to grab the barrel and bent it half; rendering it useless. "Lucky!" Tegan growled, discharging all of the emergency flare and smoke canisters his Jesta held and boosted back away from the two hostiles and prepared to dart off to regain his bearings, though Amaury's pursuit through the purple could rendered it useless. "Get back here!" Amaury called, swinging his saber down towards Tegan as the boy blocked and lifted his legs up to avoid a crippling swing from the Dom's heatrod once again, disabling Amaury's saber with vulcan fire in the process.

"Stop toying with me and fight!" Tegan snarled, kicking the Dom away as he spun and jabbed the tip of the saber into the Jaeger's shoulder; the damage only superficial despite the irritation it caused the pilot inside. Boosting back to avoid the blade going any further, Amaury discarded his beam saber out into space, dodging another swing of Tegan's in the process. "Where are you going?!" Tegan laughed, preparing to chase after the boy as he sensed yet another swing of the Rick Dom behind him. Growing tired of the two on one fight, he spun around and swung his weapon down onto Geoff's hands, severing the forearms from the mobile suit as the heatrod flew off in the distance. "Hah! Now what?!" Tegan snickered as Amaury appeared behind him, grasping the rapidly cooling heatrod in his hands, giving the man only enough time to gasp before slamming the weapon into his Jesta's left shoulder and down into its leg; severing the former and lodging into the mechanical drive of the Jesta's knee due to its cool state. "Fuck!" Tegan exclaimed as he turned to block against the heat hawk now deployed in Amaury's hands, boosting backwards towards the _Due Diligence_ at his suit's current full thrust. Seeing his enemy fleeing Amaury prepared to follow as Geoff flew in front of him, bringing him to a stop; the Dom's monoeye scanning over the damage on the Jaeger and the depleted armament across the machine before looking down at his own suit's missing forearms.

"Let him go. We've both done major damage to one another, and it appears I am out of this fight." Geoff stated in a calm voice, despite the irritation he felt at his removal from the battle. "Return to the _Bastille,_ rearm your suit and return to help the fleet. That's an order." Geoff commanded, knowing that Amaury's desire lay heavy in the pursuit of the battered Jesta to finish the fight once and for all, to which the boy nodded in agreement and turned around. Heading back to the ship Amaury lifted his injured arm up and stretched, grinding his teeth as he winced in pain. The rough impact likely tore a staple or two loose and he could feel it digging into his skin. " _Warsaw_ , I'm coming in for rearm." He instructed, trying his best not to allow his pain to show and worry Carina, who he knew very well was listening. "I'll be waiting." The girl replied with an upbeat hum, excited to see her noble warrior return home, even if was temporary. Turning back to the lane, she watched as the Scarlet Glint, now fully refueled and ready for combat, made its way to the end of the hangar and boosted off to join the fight. "You better be in one piece, Amaury Dietrich." She playfully scolded as the boy grinned to himself, setting a course towards the ship's open hangar doors.

Onboard the _Due Diligence_ , Admiral Cousland watched on in complete disgust as his beloved Federation showed its true colors under the current regime; faltering and crumbling at the hands of children and terrorists. "Damn it all." He groaned in anger, seeing the two burning halves of the _Lady May_ drift off into space as his ship rammed through the debris into combat, openly engaging against the swift moving _Haakon_. "Target their god damn engines. Disable the vessel and destroy it, just as they did ours." Cousland calmly commanded as he pointed out into the void at the mercenary ship, watching out of the corner of his eye as a mobile suit approached back towards him, escorted by two others. "Admiral, I'm coming in for repairs." Tegan called out as Cousland sighed. "Got the best of you once more, huh?" He asked the pilot as he stuttered in frustration. "I-I will get him, this time I promise. I will get repaired, and then-" The Cerberus squad leader tried to explain as Cousland raised his hand. "Stop. Don't explain yourself right now, just land, repair and get back out there. Besides, I have a surprise for our friends here." Cousland replied with a smirk as Tegan did as instructed in complete silencing, feeling the Admiral's disappointment crush down on his shoulders like the weight of the world.

Making his way towards the Ares Monty tried his best to remain in the shadows, wanting to avoid any interaction with the crew as it could easily delay his exit and cause him to miss his escape window. Entering the hangar from a rarely used maintenance hatch directly above the third mobile suit bay he grabbed onto a power conduit and pulled himself along towards the Gundam, docked in the very last bay at his earlier request with its exposed sensitive equipment covered securely with tarps. He wasn't sure exactly where his shuttle was going to rendezvous with him, though he knew it wouldn't be here; the outside battle too hectic to risk flying a lightly armored jumper shuttle through. As such, he would have to enter his suit, fire it up and escape the _Bastille_ in almost one fluid motion or risk discovery and the lockdown of the hangar, trapping him inside and forcing him to fight his way out. Nearing the Gundam he began to descend from the roof the hangar, heading straight down towards the closed cockpit and opening it without delay, though the action did not go unnoticed. From further down the hangar a crewman spotted the Gundam's hatch opening up, and knowing that its deployment was not permitted, immediately shifted his eyes around to find Carina.

"Ma'am, someone is inside of the Gundam!" He called to her as the girl immediately looked down the lane to the looming machine, its hatch indeed opened. Who could possibly be messing around inside of it at a time like this? Had one of their crewman suddenly become flushed with ideas of grandeur, intending to take the incomplete machine out into combat? Or was it Monty who had gained such ideas? "Monty?" She asked, knowing that everyone on the ship was aware that the suit was only to be piloted by their leader following its completion and that it could very well be him. "Monty, are you still on the bridge?" She asked again over their radio before turning towards the crewman who originally alerted her to the issued and smiled. "I'll go check it out. We have suits incoming, be prepared to assist." She instructed before making her way down the lane towards the Ares, unsure exactly what to expect.

"Come on, why won't this thing start?!" Monty complained under his helmet as he sat in the Psycommu seat of the Ares for the first time, fighting with the ignition system without success. This system was very different from any other suit he had flown before, and even getting it started was posing quit the challenge. "Come on you piece of sh-" He yelled, kicking the pedals and pressing the ignition at the same time as the machine roared to a hum; ironically just as Carina rounded the corner into the cockpit and stared at the captain in shock. "Monty? What are you doing in here?" She asked, seeing that the incomplete Gundam frame had now been activated and was ready for flight. "Are you seriously planning to take this out there? Are you insane?!" She scolded, seeing the determined look on his face beneath his visor. "No, I'm not doing that. Come on Carina, what…" He began with a smile, though it quickly faded. Now here at the end, there was no need to play with her anymore; no need to maintain the masquerade he had grown quite tired of.

"My time here has ended, Carina. I'm going back to where I came from, and I'm taking this with me." He replied as Carina continued to stare at him with a confused look. Back to where he came from? What did that mean? And why would he take the Ares with him? "Monty, what do you mean?" She questioned as Monty laughed to himself a bit at the girl's innocence. As he had assumed, nobody suspected a single thing. "Listen, I don't have much time here." He replied, attempting to cut right to the chase as he continued to activate the Ares' limited systems in preparation to his escape. "Let's just say that I come from a _whole_ different reality than anyone else from this fleet, and I was sent here to complete a task; with that task complete, it's time for me and this machine to go." He attempted to explain in a simpler, if not condescending manner, though it only further infuriated the girl, who understood on her own that what he was saying overall was one thing; they were in the fight of their lives, and he intended to just up and leave.

"You are leaving?" She asked as the man immediately nodded once in a single quick head bob. "That is correct." He added, watching as her fists clenched into a tight ball. "We are fighting for our lives; for the goal you yourself rallied us behind… that we have fought, bled and died for… and you are leaving?" She questioned once more while looking down to the floor, listening to Monty sigh. "Yes, Carina. I am leaving, that's what I said, isn't it?" He again answered, looking down at his watch as from the corner of his eye he spotted the Jaeger entering the hangar for resupply. With Amaury present there was no way his next question would even be considered; he had to act fast. "Listen; come with me." The man stated as the furious girl's eyes immediately returned back to her ex-lover.

"What?" She sharply asked as Monty's eyes widened in annoyance. "I said come with me. Look, this fleet is doomed. Whether it be today, tomorrow or a week from now; Krupp's plan is flawed. Side 3 is way too close to Earth to maintain any form of independence, and when the Federation returns, and they will return, there is no amount of military might that can stop their onslaught." He explained as Carina's eyes filled with tears of anger. How could he say that? How could he say now after feeding the plan to them all on a spoon that he himself believed they were doomed to fail? "Where I am from, we can be free; we just need the right tool to achieve that goal. A tool you have given me with this Gundam. Come with me and finish your work; set my people free. These people will be martyrs for the more successful revolutions to look up to, their deaths will not be in vane." Monty added as the Jaeger touched down and began to back itself into a bay near the middle of the hangar lane; the boy quickly exiting and searching for Carina. When he didn't see her, he looked down to one of the deckhands, who pointed towards the Gundam at the end of the lane, bringing the boy to head towards the machine.

Sensing the boy approaching the Gundam, Monty grew even more impatient and huffed inside of his helmet, causing the glass to fog a little. "Well, what is it? I can't wait forever." He warned in an attempt to sway her decision in his favor, seeing the fear of failure in her eyes. She was the third and most promising of the Newtypes in his opinion; possessing the intellect of a genius and the ability to harness that intelligence into what his people needed most. Surely she would see the logic in his words. "Wellllll?" He hummed, is hand placed onto his sidearm as Amaury grew ever closer to the cockpit hatch, just as a precaution to what he may do. "No." She finally replied as Amaury came into her view, turning her teary eyes towards him with her hands held over her heart. "N-No, I won't go. I won't leave my friends." She continued in defiance as Monty scowled.

So her talent would be wasted on this doomed experiment? Fine. If she wanted to die in the arms of some colony rat, she was more than welcome to. Hearing her words, Amaury's head tilted in confusion, having not been present for the rest of the conversation. "What's going on?" He asked, seeing the tears in her eyes coupled with the sound of Monty's voice. Why was she talking about leaving her friends? Swallowing nervously Carina opened her mouth to speak, though Monty cut her off. "Well, if it isn't the biggest fuckin' thorn in my side that ever existed." Monty called from inside the cockpit as Amaury neared the landing, drawing his handgun from his holster as Carina gasped in horror.

"AMAURY!" She attempted to warn the boy as Monty rounded the corner and fired a single shot; the boy quickly dodging the round and grabbing ahold of the gun. "What the hell?!" He shouted in surprise at the attempt on his life, slamming Monty's fingers into the side of the Ares to break his grip free on the weapon. "You know kid, I had such high hopes for both you and this bitch, but you went and stuck your dick in it!" The man angrily spat as swung and hit the boy in the stomach, knocking him into the Ares' cockpit in the process. Ignoring the pain as much as he could, Amaury dodged another swing of Monty's fist and kicked him back into the ceiling of the cockpit, banging his head off of the wall and causing him to bite his lip.

Tasting the blood Monty scowled and drew a knife from his chest rig before descending back down on to the, who in spotting the knife grabbed Monty's wrists and held him back as he was pushed into the cockpit seat. "What is wrong with you Monty?!" Amaury screamed, unsure why his squad leader was attempting to kill him. Was this because of Carina? No, it couldn't be, could it? "I was just telling your little harlot here just how I've been playing you all for fools over the last few months; building your faith in a revolution up only to watch it all get knocked down. Just part of my plan." He growled, pushing the knife ever close towards Amaury's chest as the boy struggled to fight back; screaming out in anguish as his wound slowly tore open from the pressure.

"I never wanted to kill you, but you've intervened in my plans too many times for me to just let you go and risk you ruining this one." He added as Amaury's eyes shifted towards Carina, who up until this point had remained frozen. "Get off of him!" She yelled, grabbing Monty's arm in an attempt to break Monty's hold on the boy. Feeling her arm grab at his wrist, the man's eyes shot to the girl for a brief moment before swinging his arm and striking the girl in the helmet, knocking her into the hatch entrance.

Infuriated, Amaury lifted his legs to the man's chest and kicked him up against the ceiling once more followed by a swift lunge which failed as his opponent evaded. "Not quick enough kid!" Monty yelled, grabbing the boy in front of him by the neck and slamming him into the side of the panoramic cockpit walls as Carina watched, knowing she didn't have the strength to fight against the adrenaline fueled traitor while also refusing to allow him to kill the boy she loved more than anything; she had to do something!

Spotting Monty's handgun floating in space, she determined it was her only option and grabbed it, turning back towards the fight as she did so. "Monty!" She angrily called his name, forcing him to look towards her as she stood on the hatch door pointing his own weapon at his head; unwilling to pull the trigger unless she absolutely had to in Amaury's defense. Seeing her intent, Monty grinned and tightened his grip on Amaury's throat. "What are you going to do with that gun, Carina? Both of us know you ain't gonna shoot me." Monty taunted the girl as her shaky hands rattled the handgun's frame and slide together. "Let Amaury go, you… y-you bastard!" She demanded as Amaury's eyes began to roll into the back of his head, the world growing dark as he failed to break free of Monty's grip.

Watching her lover struggle to breath she had no choice but to act or risk losing Amaury forever. "Now Carina, are you going to come with me willingly, or not?" He asked, revealing his intention to take her to Jupiter whether or not she agreed to go, though instead of any spoken words, Carina discharged the firearm, striking him in the arm that was choking the life from Amaury. Screaming in both severe pain and overwhelming anger at her continued defiance, Monty released his grip on Amaury and lunging forward, grabbing the handgun to prevent her from firing again before kneeing her in the stomach as hard as he could.

"You have a lot of nerve shooting me in defense of that space rat." He growled as the girl floated back out of the hatch, grabbing at her stomach and gasping for a breath of air. "A-Am… Amaur…" She tried to call the lifeless boy's name as she watched him float; his eyes opening instantly at the sound of his name, just as Monty prepared to fire his regained weapon at the girl, though he quickly turned back to Amaury as the boy screamed at the top of his lungs and rammed into Monty, burying his head in the man's back as he pushed him forward out of the cockpit, hitting him in his side as hard as he could.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" He growled angrily in the process as both men sensed something coming right towards the hangar entrance; their heads turning out into space as a volley of missiles approached the _Bastille_. "Close the hangar, god damnit!" Amaury now heard Marcus call over the radio, having been drowned out by the sounds of the fight up until the point; the transmission too late to change anything. The projectiles struck the _Bastille_ in several locations, including one that entered through open hangar doors and struck the left side of the Gundam, severing it's arm and sending all three of them off into different directions.

Slamming into the deck of the hangar on his left arm, Amaury cried out in pain as he looked to see what had happened and to find Carina amongst the smoke and debris. "Carina?" He called out, his vision blurred from his impact with the floor as well as the crack that now ran down the center of his visor. Where was she? Monty was gone as well, but that was of little concern to the boy at the moment.

"Carina!" He called again, lifting himself up off of the deck before he finally spotted the girl, floating out of the hangar entrance while the Gundam's cockpit closed. His eyes widened as they focused in on her motionless body, which must have slammed up into the ceiling above from the force of the explosion. "C-Carina?" He called one more time, paralyzed in fear. Why wasn't she moving?! Was she… no, no she couldn't be dead! She couldn't be! This couldn't be happening! "Carina!" He cried out, ignoring the damaged Ares as it stepped forward and prepared to leave the hangar; it's eyes focusing down at the boy at its feet, then up as Carina's lifeless form floated off into the void.

"What a shame. She would have achieved great things." Monty said to himself as he made his way over the frozen boy and out of the hangar entrance, boosting away as fast as the damaged Ares could take him, searching for his escape vessel out in distant space. His time there was done, and nothing else mattered; not even the lives of what he himself would have called his friends.

With no other option, Amaury jumped off of the hangar deck where he had landed without hesitation out into space, trying in desperation to reach his Carina. "CARINA!" He called once more, reaching out for her as tears formed in his eyes. This couldn't be it; this couldn't be the end of their dream


	23. Chapter 23: Promise

From his position on top of the _Warsaw_ , Marcus looked down at the ship he stood on as well as the _Bastille_ , both vessels now damaged and burning across various points in the hull. "What the fuck, how did they break through our line?!" He growled, angrily firing his rifle at one of the swift moving mobile suits that rounded its course back around towards the ships after unleashing part of the devastating attack. "Those are Stark Jegans; upgrade frontline mobile suits designed to strike quickly and cause massive damage to large vessels and enemy suits alike. I haven't seen one in years." Douglas stated, boosting back towards the two carriers to help defend them from another catastrophic strike. He may not belong to these men, but someone he cares very much about remained onboard, and that was enough of a reason to fight like hell the keep the two vessels in one piece. Adjusting her flight pattern to match one of the Starks, Tome laid chase, trying her very best to keep up with the murderous machine.

"You bastard, get back here!" She yelled in a fury as she swung one of heat hawks towards the Stark, which spun and boosted away from her, only further infuriating the girl. They should have never been allowed to get to the fleet, but they were just so fast and unexpected! Turning to see the burning vessels the girl could feel tears building up in her eyes, the failure to her friends fresh on her mind as a red streak flew past her in hot pursuit of one of the Starks, discharging her beam rifle over and over again to strike at the Starks. "You need to get them away from here." Elise commanded out to the forces attempting to defend the two crippled cruisers, taking Geoff's position in his absence. "If you don't, they will kill everyone on both of these ships." Listening to the mysterious woman's words, Marcus scowled.

"Right." He replied, still angered at the whole situation. How many more had died because of this attack? How many more would die in the fires that spread, fueled by the path of oxygen in the ship's bulkheads? Locking on and firing his weapon again, Marcus managed to strike a Stark, causing him to spin in a spiral violently as Tome leapt onto the mobile suit, striking deep into it's reactor with both of her heat hawks before avoiding the resulting explosion.

"That's one, now for the last three." Marcus spoke, watching as something left the out of the _Bastille_ 's hangar, making its way in the opposite direction out into space. Focusing in on the target, Marcus became confused. "Why is the Ares Gundam deploying?" He asked, bringing both Tome and Elise's attention to the suit as it darted off in the distance. "Is he… running?" Tome asked out loud for either to answer, bringing an angered expression across Elise's expressions. Was this the plan he had long spoken of? Running from the fight when his crew needed him the most, and stealing the Gundam in the process? "It would appear so." She stated calmly, despite her anger at the cowardice of their so-called fearless leader. "That… that bastard! I-I'll… I'll…" Tome growled in anger as she turned and prepared to divert after Monty, only to stop as Elise cut her off. "Keep chasing after the Starks." She instructed, swinging after the fast moving suits with her beam saber as they clashed in an upscaled game of chicken. "We need to focus on the battle, not his betrayal. Operator, are you hearing this?" She called out to the EWACS operator, who turned to look at Monty's vacant captain's chair before replying.

"Yes, I hear." He replied in an almost disheartened voice, the first grim tone he had ever broadcast to the fleet. "All forces, be advised; Captain Monty McNeil has betrayed the fleet and has gone AWOL. He is no longer in command of fleet operations and shall be considered hostile to the Reformation Movement if encounter. Shoot on sight." The controller stated as all of the allied forces listened on, including Geoff as he made his way to the bridge of the _Warsaw_ , now finding himself without a mobile suit. AWOL? How could this be? Why would he betray them? Why would he betray them at all?

"I can't believe this." He stated in both disbelief and anger as he approached the helm of his flagship, standing in front of the Captain's chair as he did so. "Sir, you are fleet command now. What are your orders?" The first mate who was previously in charge of commanding the _Warsaw_ stated, bringing Geoff's dark eyes to him, then to the battle raging outside, focusing on their Frontline capital ships as they fired and received fire back and forth. Both the _Haakon_ and the _Interdictor_ had received moderate damage, while the _Saber_ burned in the foreground, destroyed by a monstrous volley of fire from the enemy battleship, with all three of their ships remaining damaged but operational.

"Maintain current orders. Give them everything we've got." He issued, turning his attention down to their side at the _Bastille's_ burning hangar, knowing that Amaury had landed inside. Was his mobile suit hit in the attack? They needed everyone and every suit the could muster, of he wasn't hit, he needed to launch and get back out there. "Amaury." He called the boy with no answer, raising his concern to a high level. "Amaury, can you hear me?" Geoff called again as the boy ignored his leader's attempt, still reaching out for his love as he floated towards her with his microphone muted.

"Carina!" He called to her once more as he slowly gained ground and caught up to her, quickly reaching out and grabbing her limp hand to pull her in to his body. "Carina, please answer me!" He cried out, looking through the closed and blood splattered across the cracked but still intact glass face shield to see her closed eyes. Seeing she was unresponsive, Amaury's heart seemed to stop and fall into his stomach, twisting and burning as it did so. "N-No… no, Carina wake up… wake up!" He cried, shaking her a bit as he desperately tried to wake her. "Wake up, please! Carina!" How could this be happening? Staring into the visor Amaury's eyes overflowed, the tears floating inside of his helmet as he tried to think of what to do despite the rushing through his mind. What would he do now? Having known that someone as sweet and kind could care so much for him, how could he live without her? How could he return back to being all alone with nobody to care if he lived or died?

"P-please Carina…" The boy pleaded over and over as if he was unable to say or think of anything more than her waking up and telling him it would be okay like she had so many times before. "Carina, what is going on in the _Bastille's_ hangar? Where is Amaury?" Geoff called again as Amaury's ears caught her name in the transmission, forcing him to turn his head back to the ships as they continued to slowly float away. "G-Geoff?" He called out with no reply as Geoff transmitted again. "Carina! Amaury! Someone tell me what is going on!" Geoff ordered angrily, making Amaury realize his microphone must have been accidentally muted in his fight with Monty. "Geoff, I… help! C-Carina needs help!" The boy called out as he unmuted himself, bringing Geoff's eyes up and out to the _Bastille_. "Amaury? Where are you guys? What is going on!?" He asked as the boy looked back down at his lover's lifeless body. "I-I don't know, she… she's not m-moving!" He replied, the agonizing pain in his voice visible to all that now listened.

His stomach knotting almost instantly, Geoff ground his teeth together, unsure of this was the result of Monty's actions of the sudden assault by the Stark Jegan squadron. "Where are you?" He again asked as Amaury hugged Carina against his body, fighting back the desire to cry out loudly from the piercing pain in his heart. "I-In front of the _Bastille_ , she was t-thrown from the hangar… please… please help!" He called out, drawing Marcus' eye as he listened to the boy's heartbreaking transmission. "Where? I don't see your suit." Marcus called back out as he stood his Zakum up to get a better view, spotting the two of them floating out into the void amongst pieces of debris from the hangar entrance. "Shit!" He exclaimed, releasing his rifle from his hands as he boosted from the deck of the _Warsaw_ towards his friends and carefully brought himself to a stop their side. "I've got you, just hold on!" The man reassured as he held out his suit's hand for the boy to grab, which he immediately grabbed ahold of before Marcus turned and brought the two into the damaged hangar.

Watching the boy attempt to escape his hand before he came to a complete stop, Marcus gasped and brought the suit to a sudden halt. "Hold on, stop!" He ordered as the boy took off, pulling Carina into the nearest airtight bulkhead as fast as he could. Progressing past the air locks into what was a service corridor, Amaury wasted not a single moment, instantly pulling his helmet from his head as he pushed her to the floor of the hallway.

"Carina!" He cried out, pulling her own helmet off; blood running from her nose and mouth into the open air as she remained lifeless. "No… Carina…" He whispered, placing both of his hands on her face and his forehead to hers in a fairytale hope that it would be enough to wake her. "Please Carina, please… I need you, please!" He cried out in overwhelming pain, crying loudly as Marcus entered into the corridor, followed closely behind by a first aid team assigned to the hangar. "Carina!"

"Amaury… fuck." Marcus said softly as he lifted both hands to the back of his head in disbelief before rushing to their side on his knees; his voice drowned out by Amaury's cries as he rubbed the sides of her head with his thumbs, thinking illogically in his currently panicked state of mind. "Please don't leave me… I can't be alone anymore, I-I can't… I don't want to… I can't…" He continued to plead as his tears floated down to her face, his mind flooded with thoughts of her loving smile and giggle that caused his heart to race every time he heard or saw, those bright green eyes that has captivated him ever since the day they has first met. "C-Carina…" He promised to protect her and keep her safe out here. He promised her, and failed; and now it seemed she was gone and that their dreams would never come true. His breathing became frantic as his heart broke into a million pieces and the world around him began to grow numb, turning everything in the room to gray except for Carina.

"God, I'm so sorry." Marcus stated quietly, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder as he continued to cry; the first aid team unwilling to come between the two lover's, believing too that she was gone based on the way he acted. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" He continued as he cried, though his crying slowed as his eyes opened and spotted the blood on his shaking hands; Carina's blood. Instantly the boy's mind flushed of all thought and reason as his eyes focused on his hands, then to his lover's lifeless face. "Carina…" He whispered once more as his ears slowly began to ring, quietly at first before quickly becoming an almost screeching sound inside of his head, forcing him to stand up as memories of their time together rapidly flashed through his mind. He remembered back to when she first kissed her cheek on Dresden, as well as her taking his hand in the _Tortuga's_ infirmary; the numerous times she hugged him and locked their fingers together, and their first kiss. All of these things brought him happiness above all else; a happiness that the Federation had now taken from him, bringing him to forget about Monty's betrayal.

Clenching his fists together he backed up against the wall behind him and grabbed his head on both sides, watching as the first aid crew moved in to actually assess the girl and officially declare her death. "C-Carina…" His ears were screaming so loud he couldn't hear himself think, flooded with thoughts of only one thing; revenge. His head still focused down at Carina's body, Marcus looked up at Amaury just as he exited into the airlock towards the hangar, tears still pouring from his eyes as he pulled his helmet onto his head while the door sealed behind him. Standing quickly to his feet, he came to the door and looked into the window at the boy who faced away from him.

"Where are you going?" Marcus asked as he tried to open the door, unable to as it locked to allow the air to purge out into the hangar. "She's gone… I… I'm… t-they took her from me…" Amaury replied without turning to his friend, bringing a disheartened look to the man's face. "No Amaury, you need to just… sit down. You are not-" He attempted to convince Amaury that he had done enough, knowing that he was not ready to fly again so soon after her death. "I-I'm going to kill them all…" He cut the man off, his fists tightly squeezed together in the rage that was grew by the moment, fluctuating his psychic presence exponentially.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Is that what Carina would want?!" He questioned as Amaury spun around, his tearfilled and bloodshot eyes wide with rage as he displayed an emotion his friend had never before seen in him; the look of a man so desperate and broken that all he had to look forward to was destruction, both of his enemies and himself. "Stay out of my way!" He snarled as the hangar door began to slowly open allowing him to storm off towards his mobile suit, just as the first aid crew looked up to Marcus with surprised eyes.

"Marcus she's not dead! She's alive!" Hearing the words, Marcus tried once more to catch Amaury's attention, banging on the door rapidly. "Amaury!" He called to try and tell the boy before he threw his life away, slamming his fist angrily into the steel as the boy continued away on his warpath. "Fuck!" He exclaimed before pulling his own helmet on in preparation to rush after the boy as soon as the air locks reset.

Continuing her chase of the three remaining Starks, Elise herself winced at the psychic firestorm Amaury suddenly emitted. A moment before she could not sense him at all and was convinced that the boy had died despite her best efforts to keep him alive, and now she sensed such hatred that it was hard to concentrate. She too listened in on the boy as he called for help outside of the _Bastille's_ , leading her to believe that this had something to do with Carina's injuries. Did the girl die? That would certainly explain his rage, but yet she could still sense her. Why did he lust for blood to such a high degree then?

"Tome, watch your back." Elise warned, spotting the Stark descending on her as the teary eyed girl spun and dodged the hostile blade with her own, slashing through the unit's booster and disabling it to allow Elise a clear shot; destroying the suit posthaste. "T-Two more." Tome tallied in an attempt to remain positive, despite the worry that flooded over her in hearing her friends in trouble. "Good work." Elise complimented the Newtype, spotting the final two Starks as the prepared to attack the _Bastille_ once more, lining up to strike into the heart of the beast. " _Bastille_ you have to close those doors." Elise called as the bridge of the ship called back in obvious distress, watching the two ordinance-heavy suits approaching quickly and evading their point defense weapons with ease.

"We can't, the fucking doors are busted!" He claimed as Elise growled, unsure if she would make it in time to stop the attack. "Marcus, what are you doing?" She questioned angrily, knowing that he was last seen several minutes before entering the ship carrying Amaury and Carina and had yet to return. "Trying to stop Amaury, he's going nuts!" Marcus called as he entered the hangar, just in time to watch the rearmed Jaeger locking down into the catapult tracks. "Why? What happened?!" Tome interrupted, fearing something happened to either him or Carina, annoying Elise in the process who was in the process of trying to stop a major attack from happening. "He's thinks Carina is dead! She's alive!" Marcus replied as the boy gripped his controls as tightly as possible, staring down at his feet in a psychotic, rage-fueled state.

"I'm c-coming home t-to you, Carina…" He whispered, continuing to silently cry as his eyes shifted up and out into the void, his heart still racing in his chest and his s breath heavy. If he couldn't keep his promise to return to her in this life, then he would do so in the next. Spotting the two remaining Starks approaching quickly, his watery eyes widened and his teeth ground together in pure hatred. "B-but before I do…" He began, firing his thrusters at full speed as the catapult launched forward, shooting him from the _Bastille_ at an absurd speed. "I'M GOING TO KILL THEM ALL!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, broadcasting his rage to the entire fleet as he rocketed towards the two remaining Stark Jegans, avoiding their fire with ease as he approached.

"H-He's coming right at me!" One of the Stark pilots called out as Amaury drew near, striking the suit twice with his bazooka to destroy it instantly as he shifted his attention to the remaining Stark, evading away from the boy in an effort to stay alive. "This guy is nuts, fuck this!" The last pilot called back to the Federal fleet as he attempted to return, not realizing that the Jaeger was capable of catching up to him. "How? How is that possible?!" He growled as Amaury gained ground quickly, drawing a beam saber from it's charging rack in the Jaeger's thigh.

Unable to run, the Stark spun to face the approaching enemy, firing its machine gun at the enemy suit as he slammed into him and grabbed ahold of the cockpit with his open hand. Gasping, the pilot pushed his weapon the the Jaeger's cockpit door to kill the boy, before Amaury pressed his still inactive beam saber to the Stark's torso; activating it in a swiping motion up, tearing the suit in half laterally before it's reactor overloaded, failed and filled the space around in a large blue cloud.

Amaury then immediately shifted his eyes around the battlefield, locating his next target; the enemy fleet and mobile suit forces now reinforced by garrison forces launched from the loyalist colonies. Making his way towards the hostile forces, Amaury locked onto three of the reinforcing Federal Jegans and discharged his full complement of missiles at once, jettisoned the empty launchers and drew both his machine gun and heat hawk forward before flying into the heart of the fleet. Crying out in hatred the boy began to target hostiles at random, striking rapidly and without relief as his previously fired ordinance struck home and destroyed two of the three targeted Jegans. Singling out the remaining Jegan he bolted forward at high speed, chopping into the cockpit and killing the rookie pilot instantly as he turned and started to open fire on another with his machine gun before boosting towards him.

"Come get me you rebel fuck!" The pilot taunted as he charged forward towards the boy, unafraid of the green machine as it aimed to strike him down. "Let's go!" He yelled again, discharging his machine gun towards Amaury who was struck twice with minor damage before veering left to strike a different Jegan, leaving the pilot who challenged him surprised. "What?! Why would he-" He started to complain about the boy indecision before being struck in the back by the Jaeger's single underslung howitzer round; the explosion destroying the reactor and causing the suit to float aimlessly in space.

"Dammit, he fucking got me!" The pilot complained as Amaury fought his wingman, locking blades with the Jegan just as Elise's beam rifle tore the machine in half, allowing him to spin his blade into the torso of the disable Jegan to his side, finishing the disabled pilot off. "What are you doing, Amaury?" Elise called to him as she approached, though the boy said nothing and boosted away from her towards the fleet battle causing the woman to huff angrily. She knew what he was doing even without hearing his decree; a suicidal attack on the fleet in the hopes that he would be killed so that he may join his lover in the afterlife, his mind unwilling to accept any other truth than what his eyes have seen.

"You fool…" She growled under her breath as she chased after him, watching him bolt from target to target in rage; not always killing the target but inflicting as much damage as he possibly could with each opportunity. "You are going to get yourself killed! She's alive, Amaury!" Tome cried out to the boy to attempt to get him to stop as she approached, witnessing the machine being struck by more enemy fire, regardless of his harsh evasive tactics. Hearing her voice the boy growled, creating a distance between himself and the girl as he moved towards one of the three remaining cruisers, destined for the bridge of the vessel.

"AMAURY!" She screamed, trying once more to stop him as Elise called to her to make the girl herself stop. "Tome, no. Don't try to follow him, you'll get cut up by their point defenses. He can't hear you." She instructed as Tome groaned in anger. "But he's crazy, what if-" The girl began to explain as her attention wavered, almost being struck by burst of fire from the _Due Diligence_ had Elise not grabbed ahold of her suit and dragged her from the line of fire in time. "You need to focus on staying alive and taking out these targets. We are down to just ten mobile suits against their twenty, don't let his behavior get you killed." She warned as the girl held back tears, watching her friend's grief stricken drive to madness for only a moment longer before returning herself to the fight.

From the _Due Diligence_ Cousland watched his plan lay out to great effect. Keeping the four Stark Jegans under the cover only to launch them amidst the chaos of battle was tactical genius on his part and fit right in with the reputation he had amassed for himself since the end of the One Year War, allowing them to slip through the enemies defensive line and deliver their payload before they could even identify the attackers.

"Good job boys; keep the pressure on the, burn their carriers to the ground and we will have this battle won in no time." He called to his forces struggling to maintain control over the fragile situation, hoping to inspire his fleet of rookies to fight harder with both his words and the fragmenting enemy flagships in the distance. If they could win here in space, the victories occurring in the enemies favor inside the colonies at his last report wouldn't matter, and morale was a key factor. "Tegan, how is the refit going?" He called down to his star pupil below in the hangar, watching as his damaged Jesta was stripped and refitted with parts from a fifth, unpiloted Stark Jegan. Having these Starks restored for his personal ship's armament paid off in the long run, no matter how much paperwork and hidden legislation he had to bury to make it so.

"They will be ready soon, Admiral." Tegan replied, anxiously waiting on the catwalk of the hangar floor for his chance to get back out into the fight and hunt down that Zeon devil; tapping his foot to the metal below as he leaned on the railing in front of him. He could sense the boy's anger out in the void of space and knew something must have happened to cause such an influx, though he didn't much care; no matter what, that boy was going to die on this day. "Good, because I do believe your best friend is entering the fray." The Admiral replied, watching in the distance as the green Jaeger emerged from the hangar and decimated his two remaining Starks, bringing a displeased frown to the admirals face.

"And he's once again destroying my property." The unhappy commander growled, pointing to the suit as it quickly approached in a berserker rage, hacking and slashing his way through his men. "I'm offering a field promotion to any man who can take down that green mobile suit; destroy it before it can get any closer!" He ordered as several of his Jegans took notice to the oncoming suit and moved to intercept. Temporarily grounded to the hangar floor until his repairs were complete, Tegan scowled, wanting to be the one brought the boy down in vengeance for his brother as he sensed the boy coming closer. "Come on, hurry up! I need to get back out there!" He scolded the hangar crew, thrashing his helmet against the catwalk deck as he did so.

Sensing the sudden attention of nearly half of the Federal fleet, Amaury's teeth ground together as he prepared for what he wished for; a fight to the death. "COME GET ME!" He screamed out, landing on the deck of the _Jaburo_ as he dragged the beam saber in his left hand across the metal, swiping and dismembering weapons along the way as he headed directly towards the main control tower. Spinning to avoid incoming mobile suit fire, Amaury retaliated, lifting and firing his machine gun up at an oncoming Jegan, striking the suit several times before it could finally evade and allow the boys attention to return to his target.

Spotting the large amount of mobile suits heading towards the boy, Douglas moved to intercept, regardless of his difference with the pilot of his stolen Blitz. "You are fucking crazy kid." He smirked while locking on to a Jegan and blowing the suit in half with his machine gun before engaging another, trying to draw fire from the boy as he boosted up in front of the Cruiser's bridge.

Seeing the Jaeger appear before them the crew of the bridge stared in fear at their impending death, the machine aiming right at them with his machine gun before being swatted away by a burst of point defense fire from the _Due Diligence_ , striking the Jaeger several times before it could retreat to the far side of the _Jaburo_ to avoid any further damage; the smoke trail it left making it clear that it had suffered at least some degree of damage as Cousland snickered. "Keep after him, don't let him have a second to recover."

Gasping in pain as fragmentation from a penetrating round struck into the right side of his rib cage, Amaury discharged his weapon into the port side mega particle cannon, destroying it as he drifted off into space below the enemy cruiser and cried out in pain following a violent, blood filled cough. Grabbing is injured side amaury looked up at the enemy fleet's flagship, focusing on the bridge of the gigantic vessel where he knew the man pulling the shots stood. "You…" Amaury groaned, gnashing his teeth together as his eyes narrowed on the silhouette of the man staring down at him with great disdain. It was his trick that killed Carina, he had to pay!

"You… you killed her..." He snarled, returning his injured arm to his controls once again. The Jaeger had suffered internal damage as well as losing thrusters on it's right shoulder, making it clear that this fight could not continue on forever, and if he was going to take anyone with him to the grave, it would be him! Filling the radio channel with his screams, Amaury boosted at maximum speed towards the enemy flagship; discharging the last round from his first bazooka into an oncoming suit and throwing the empty launcher off into space as he began to encounter the screen of mobile suits after the bounty on his head. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Watching as the enemy suit approached from below at the highest speed it could in it's condition, Cousland remained steady and calm, fearing not the man who had caused so much destruction and death to his fleet thus far. He had faith that in his damaged and likely injured state he would not make it to the bridge of his vessel in once piece, resting his fate in the hands of men with utmost confidence. "Someone better kill this green demon before he gets to me or none of you will get promoted." He taunted with a smirk as the boy darted across the sky, engaging his forces as he attempted to break free and strike the _Diligence_.

"Tegan?" Cousland asked, lifting his brow in curiosity as to why the boy had yet to launch and slay this monster. "I'm going now!" He replied as he entered the cockpit of the now complete Stark Jesta and began to boot the system up. "He won't escape me this time!" Tegan added bringing a light chuckle to the Admiral, despite his major disappointment in the boys performance so far. Had Delacout been here, this would have likely all be resolved already, regardless or not if the boy was able to defeat him the first time. "Don't let me down, this is your last chance." Cousland replied in a passive aggressive manner, his eyes remaining locked onto the Zeon ace as one of the Jegans stripped him of his machine gun before falling victim to an attack from far in the distance, catching even the boy off guard.

"Go!" Marcus called, having fired the shot from his regained position on top of the _Warsaw_ , trying to buy his friend the time necessary to strike the fatal blow he so desperately desired. And it wasn't just Marcus; the others too attempted their best to draw the heat from Amaury's back, engaging and luring away what remained of the enemy mobile suit fleet. "Amaury is going for the flagship; defend him!" Geoff instructed as Tome intercepted a Jegan heading for the wounded Jaeger, biting her tongue not to try and stop the boy once more. What he was doing was suicide, why wouldn't he listen? Why didn't he understand that Carina was not dead? Not wasting a moment, Amaury drew his only remaining weapon and headed straight towards the enemy flagship, looping around to avoid the point defense weapons as best as he could; a task not easily accomplished with his decreased thrust output. If he could just make it close enough to destroy the bridge, it wouldn't matter if he escaped destruction.

Saving what remained of his ammunition for the _Due Diligence_ , Amaury drew his heat hawk in the Jaeger's free left hand and boosted straight towards the battleship, planning a frontal assault to avoid the broadside of point defense cannons. Seeing the boys ambitious plan, Cousland's vision narrowed, watching the green demon plant his feet on the very bow of his ship, grinding his grimy Zeon feet into the fresh paint of his beloved battleship. "Get him off of my ship Tegan." Cousland instructed as the boy catapulted off into space and locked onto the boy, firing a volley of missiles only to watch them disintegrate before him from a well-placed shot of the Glint's beam rifle.

"You again!" Tegan growled, spotting the Elise heading straight towards him, finally able to hunt the boy she so badly desired to kill. "I told you I would return!" She snickered, chasing the Jesta from the Ra Cailum with her superior speed, allowing the Jaeger free rein to hunt. Making his way across the first level of the ship's deck Amaury blasted a hole into the metal fuselage in front of the first beam turret, then into the beam turret itself, destroying it instantly as he boosted up onto the second turret and slammed the heat hawk down into its top; the crew screaming as they burned alive from the fire the weapon caused as it tore into the power conduits. Passing the last of the forward-facing main guns Amaury could see the bridge of the ship clearly, including the captain at the helm as the Jaeger zoomed in through the bridge windows, for the first time making the Admiral nervous.

"Where is our fire support?! He's tearing us apart!" The communications officer on board the battleship called out to all friendly assets, trying to rally some kind of assistance though almost all of the mobile suits and the two remaining cruisers were tied up combating the swarm of hostile armor and strike craft coming at them at once. "Tegan, where the fuck are you?" Cousland questioned into his microphone with a low growl, disgusted by the boy's lack of commitment to his task. "I can't get to him, this woman is relentless!" He replied, spinning to fire all of the missiles his suit still had in reserve at the woman, though she evaded almost all of them, taking the slightest bit of damage as one detonated in front of her.

"Fight me like a man, Tegan!" She called in an angered reply, swiping at her opponent with her beam saber as he avoided and cut his thrust, boosting straight down at the enemy Jaeger in the process. "Get her off of me!" He demanded angrily on their frequency as three Jegans responded to his call, flying towards the girl and discharging their weapons, forcing her to avoid the barrage to prevent damage to her already suffering suit. "You can't hide behind your soldiers all day! You are mine!" She growled, turning to fight the intervening suits as she did so.

With nobody left to stop him, Amaury launched his attack, charging right through the barrage of point defense fire towards the bridge tower of the Ra Cailum as he discharged his final three bazooka rounds into the ship's deck to cause as much damage as possible. Reaching the base of the tower as one of his leg thrusters failed from damage sustained in his charge, Amaury shot up towards the glass windows and hovered before the bridge as his monoeye scanned over the men and women inside before focusing the old man at the helm.

Seeing the cause of his dream's demise in person for the first time, his teeth ground together violently, gripping the controls of his mobile suit as he watched the crewman inside scramble, save for the Admiral who placed his hands behind his back and took a deep breath. Knowing that running was futile, he reached down and patched into the reformation fleet's communications channel, intending to speak with the boy who now presented himself as the reaper of his soul. "Was it worth it? All the lives you've taken? The destruction you've caused?" He asked as the boy remained still, frozen in rage as tears continued to stream from his now equally red eyes.

"Y-You took everything from me… y-you killed m-my Carina!" He cried out, his chest heaving as his voice broke; his sobs echoed through the now empty bridge. Listening to the boy's words while continuing his cold stare, Admiral Cousland sighed, knowing the feeling of loss all too well. "This is war. People die. You will either get over it, or let the grief consume you. Some people are not meant to survive." The Admiral replied, looking out at his burning battleship as anger overcame him. "Spacenoid warmongers like yourselves, undeserving of life. She deserved whatever fate came to her; you all do!" He replied as he watched Tegan approaching in the distance; Amaury's eyes widening in anger as he screamed out in blind rage. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ABOUT HER!" He cried out, using the Jaeger's hand to tear through the glass on the bridge as the vacuum pulled the Admiral out into space in front of his suit, only to be shredded to pieces along with the bridge behind him by a barrage of the Jaeger's Vulcan guns.

His mission complete, Amaury hovered in place, breathing heavily as his heart pounded against his ribs. He did it; he killed the man who had brought them so much pain and suffering. His senses on overload, he closed his eyes and growled, both from the ringing in his ears as well as the pain in his side; droplets of blood splattered throughout the Jaeger's cockpit. Bringing his left hand to cover his wound, the boy coughed violently once more, splattering the inside of his helmet in more droplets as he did so as he watched the _Due Diligence's_ bridge burn before his heavy, dark red eyes. "C-Carina…" He whispered between sharp, pain-riddled breaths, but as Tome's voice pierced his headset, his eyes once again returned to the fight.

"Watch out, Amaury!" Tome's voiced called out suddenly, causing the boy's eyes shifted above, moments before feeling the heavy impact of Tegan's Jegan, slamming him into the deck of the battleship below at top speed. "Y-You bastard! You killed him too!" Tegan cried out with tears in his own eyes, pinning the Jaeger to the deck below with his suit's foot as he deployed and drew his own beam saber, preparing to finished the injured pilot once and for all. Sensing the impending strike, Amaury boosted backwards at full speed, avoiding death but severely damaging the Jaeger's right leg below the knee as the blade slashed through it into the deck.

"Get back here!" He screamed, chasing after the boy who ejected one of his beam sabers and prepared to activate it before losing it to a brief burst of the Jesta's vulcan guns. As Amaury growled, he attempted to launch his second saber to the same effect; his opponent taking advantage of both the Jaeger and Amaury's slowed actions as both dwindled. "You will not escape my judgment again!" Tegan called, swinging his blade and forcing Amaury to evade as he grabbed the only weapon he could find; his heat hawk still stuck into the second turret. Landing on his suit's damaged feet at the end of the bow, Amaury attempted to strike first, swinging to the side with all of the Jaeger's might to strike his enemy by surprise with no success; immediately force to defend himself against the Jesta's harsh counter attack.

"Just hold still!" Tegan commanded, sliding the saber blade from the edge of the heathawk as the Jaeger stumbled back on its damaged leg, crippling Amaurys movement and preventing him from effectively dodging Tegan's blow; severing the Jaeger's weapon wielding arm from its body. In swift and desperate retaliation, Amaury discharged what was left of his vulcan guns into the Jesta's only beam saber, destroying it to prevent him from easily finishing him off though in his hatred-fueled rage, Tegan had already developed an effective counter; snatching the heathawk from the Jaeger's floating hand and claiming it as his own.

In a dire situation, Amaury attempted to boost away as he watched the attack coming towards him in slow motion, but he was too late and could only scream out in pain as the rapidly cooling heat hawk slammed into his cockpit on an angle from the left side, piercing through the armor and lodging itself into his cockpit as his friends watched on in horror.

"AMAURY!" Both Tome and Marcus cried out at the same time as the boy's blood curdling scream echoed across their communication network, forcing Geoff to stand from his chair and stare out in disbelief. "Elise, Tome- someone, get him out of there!" He commanded, watching the Jaeger drift slowly out from the deck of the ship, motionless. Already on her way down to claim Tegan as her own kill, even Elise's eyes widened in shock as the boy faltered, not believing that to be possible. "TEGAN!" Elise commanded his attention as she flew down to the scene at top speed, regardless of who was following her. Sensing the intent of the woman to do harm against him, he boosted off of the _Due Diligence_ and out into the remainder of his forces, leading her on a chase as he laughed.

"I did it!" He called out as he smiled between pants of breath, knowing that he had struck a surely fatal blow against the demon that had brought so much pain upon his family. "I killed the demon! We can win this; kill them all!" He screamed amongst cheers of his own men, audible for all to hear, including the Reformation fleet; infuriating Geoff. "Shoot him down!" He ordered as both Tome and Elise chased the Jesta, now rallying the remaining federal forces behind him.

"Amaury?! AMAURY!" Tome called out as she discharged everything she had in anger at the rapidly evading Jesta, her focus too divided at the moment to even consider launching a melee attack. "Tome, get to Amaury; get him back to the _Bastille_. Now!" Elise ordered as the girl obeyed without hesitation, trying to make her way down to the burning battleship through the enemy swarm. "Amaury answer me!" The teary girl cried out as Amaury remained silent; his body slumped forward as he stared at the flickering display screens inside of the Jaeger's crushed cockpit, now tinted red from his injured eyes.

He couldn't feel much, but what he could feel was his left leg burning and as he shifted his eyes down he could see that the heat hawk was not hot enough to have cut all the way through his suit; the edge caught the solid block of reinforced steel that was the reactor housing and ceased progression, leaving him pinned to the suit through his left leg. "T-Tome?" Amaury questioned as his hands pushed weakly at the hot blade in a futile attempt to free himself. "I… I c-can't… c-can't move…" He replied as he leaned to his side against what once was his ordinance display screen and controls, too weak to even cry out in pain. "This… t-this is it…" He whispered as he closed his eyes and waited for death to return him to his beloved. "No, no Amaury don't say that!" Marcus replied as he discharged his weapon in fury, desperately trying to clear a path for Tome to reach their friend; praying it would be in time to save him.

Hearing the desperation of their allies to recover their friend, Aye turned to both Drex and Alpha and motioned for them to follow; attempting to cut through the enemies, including the _Jaburo_ and _Titanius_ as they moved to block the crippled Ra Cailum from any more attack. "Let's go, clear them a path!" Aye commanded as both Drex and Alpha boosted forward and engaged the hostiles in the way with their melee weapons, smashing and chopping through the newly motivated Federal ranks and drawing the attention of their fanatic leader.

"You won't save him!" He called, bringing himself down towards the trio of fighters with Elise hot on his tail. Drawing his beam rifle from his back once again, he flew in between the triangular formation and picked one of the suits at random; barraging it with bolts of energy at close range as he flew past, bringing both Aye and Alpha to turn and watch as Drex's suit floated away lifelessly. "Drex!" Alpha called out as Drex's voice cracked over the static filled radio. "Heh… d-don't worry kid, I'm fine… I..." He began before his Ratnik exploded into a massive blue fireball, followed by Alpha's screams of horror.

"DREX!" Turning to watch Tegan fly off, Aye growled, infuriated by the loss of his long time first mate and good friend. "You son of a bitch!" He exclaimed, slamming the edge of his shield into a Jegan in anger before cutting it in half with his large axe, his eyes shifting to watch Tome fly by towards the Jaeger at top speed before being forced to break off under heavy fire from both of the cruisers. "God dammit, let me through!" She screamed, firing both of her wire-guided missiles into the side of the _Titanius_ , destroying its launch hangar in the process. "We are coming Amaury, just hold on!" She called to the boy as his eyes opened once again, knowing she was speaking to him.

Staring aimlessly forward in the darkening cockpit, the boy recalled the first time he ever laid eyes on the movement's secret base; remembering just how excited and proud he was to begin his journey to fight for their people; how he struggled to get the hang of piloting at first, but eventually learned well under Monty's teaching. They all knew that one day they may fall, though he never expected it would be like this. He could fight on no more, even with so much fighting left to be done, and for that he was sorry; sorry that he would not be there to help his brothers and sisters to victory.

"I-I'm s-sorry, guys…" He begins to apologize for his war ending so quickly, trying his best to stay awake. "I-Im sorry… t-that I c-can't help s-set our home f-free…" He chokes out as tears continue to roll down his cheeks, forcing Tome to shake her head. "No, just stop! Please Amaury, we are coming to get you, please!" She pleads with the boy as his mind begins to shift to thoughts of Carina again, remembering once more the warmth of her hands in his and the soft feeling of her lips. "I o-over did it a-a-again…" He whispered with a small smile, though it quickly faded with the memory of the promise he failed to keep.

"I-I'm sorry, C-Carina… I-I couldn't keep you safe…" He choked out as his mind began to fade from reality, hoping that she would hear his words wherever in the void of space she now existed. "I… I had so m-many things… to say, I… should h-have told you..." Unable to contain his pain or hold back his tears any longer, he began to cry as much as his battered body could allow as the fleet listened on; moving even Geoff to tears.

"Amaury please, listen to me; she is alive, you will see her again, you just-" Marcus pleaded once more as Amaury cut him off, bringing him to silence. "I-I should h-have told her… t-that I loved her, M-Marcus…" He admitted as his shaking hands grasped at his holstered sidearm, wishing to end all of the suffering rushing through his heart and drowning him in sorrow.

"I…" He repeated as his eyes slowly closed and his hand fell limp. "I... l-loved her…" He cried out as his voice slowly died, leaving him motionless inside of the machine she had constructed to keep him safe. He may have found a family in those around him these last few months, but in Carina he found where he finally belonged; something he had searched desperately to find for nearly a decade. Wherever she went would be his home, no matter where it was. Listening to the silence for a moment or two, Marcus called back to his friend as he too now cried, fearing the boy had passed on. "Amaury! Amaury!" He called to the boy who listened, but could not speak as the light slowly faded from his mind as his body grew cold. This was it; he was going home.


	24. Chapter 24: The Light

"Answer me!" Marcus called out across the radio, trying his best to raise his dying friend to speak as he fired the last round from his rifle and took to the skies, using his heat hawk to strike at the remaining Jegan's that darted around in support of their leader. The battle was lost without the _Due Diligence_ and Cousland's command, and with the last reports from the nine traitor colonies indicating impending rebel victory despite the hard fought battles inside, they had no other option but to retreat. But until all survivors were evacuated from the burning battleship, Tegan would continue to fight the traitorous forces before him, killing as many of their pilots as he could.

"He's not going to answer you, he's dead! I told you already, it's useless!" The now acting commander of the Federation forces replied to the man as he locked blades with their man before their new flight leader in the apple red mobile suit intervened, forcing him to use the second of the reclaimed beam sabers in his hand to defend himself from both directions before boosting off to bring the fight back down to just him and the blonde woman who desperately wanted his head. "You shut your mouth, he's not dead!" Tome snarled as she desperately tried a third time to make her way towards Amaury, only to be cut off from reaching him once more; frustrating her beyond all belief. "Get out of my fucking way!" The girl screamed, tears still in her eyes from what she feared might have been Amaury's last words. "He's not dead!" She again repeated as one of the Federation pilots laughed, using what confidence still remained inside of him in the face of defeat and catastrophic loses.

"Well if he isn't, he will be soo- GUAH!" He taunted before being cut in half by Douglas's Zakum, trying like the rest of them to finish of the enemy forces and recover the boy. There were barely ten hostile mobile suits remaining between their battered machines, all of which were dedicated to keeping the enemy away from their crippled fleet. "He was right, we need to make a break in their line and grab the boy quickly if there is any hope for him to survive." Douglas instructed, regrouping on Tome's tail with the three remaining active Jegans in their side and looking towards Marcus as he too fell into formation.

"Are we all in agreement then?" Marcus asked, clearly anxious to reach Amaury before it was too late, bringing a small audible smirk from Aye as he and Alpha continued on their mission to defend the now heavily damaged _Haakon_ and _Interdictor_ as they fell back to the two carriers; fending off the enemy swarm despite the loss of Drex and nearly all of their supporting strike craft. "If you are going to go for it, better make it quick. The closer they get to completing their evacuation, the more desperate they will become." Aye added, as Marcus nodded, understanding what the mercenary meant. The plan originally was to not allow any Federal presence to escape from Side 3, but with the damage their fleet as a whole had suffered over the course of the battle, they didn't have much of a choice.

"Alright, then it is settled. Elise, can you keep Tegan occupied for just a bit longer alone?" Marcus asked, regardless of whether or not he would be scolded for doing so, though no scolding was to come. "Yes, do not intervene with my kill!" She replied in anger, though her face showed more excitement than that. Focused heavily on her duel between the Federal Newtype and herself, something she had desired since she first sensed his awakening, and despite the damage dealt to her precious mobile suit her smile remained wide throughout the engagement.

"You won't take me alone, even if you appear to be the most skilled of all the Zeon rats." Tegan growled, locking both of his blades against the Glint's, bringing the pilot inside to laugh, almost in a maniacal tone. "You keep telling yourself that; your death will come soon enough, before you even realize it!" Although she had not said so the woman could sense Amaury's presence fading; likely as he slowly bled to death, as she had experienced before in her fallen foes. If there was any hope left for the boy, this attempt would have to be the last.

"Alright then, let's go!" Tome decreed as the arrowhead formation of Zakum's flew straight towards the enemy fleet, once again drawing the attention of their point defense weapons as well as the defending mobile suits. Dodging in and out of fire, Marcus scanned the horizon for any sign of the Jaeger. "Where is he, I don't see him anymore!" He called out as Tome too looked around frantically, before suddenly being drawn towards the bottom of the fleet by an odd feeling that rushed over her; her eyes widening as she spotted the green suit floating motionlessly in space. "There he is!" She called out as Douglas' eyes focused to the boy too, sensing what remained of his presence as they moved closer towards him.

"I see him." He replied to the girl as his eyes narrowed on the damaged done the machine, including the heat hawk that remained embedded into the cockpit. "He's still alive, but barely." Douglas added as Marcus looked to the man, confused. How could he tell? Was it because he was supposedly a Newtype too? Could he sense him or something? "Then we need to hurry. Do you still have your missiles?" Marcus asked as their newest pilot nodded, already aware what he was going to ask. "I'm already on it." He replied, locking onto the two remaining defense turrets closest to the boy, preparing to fire as they closed the distance.

Dodging and incoming Jegan, Douglas spun and unleashed a burst from his machine gun, destroying it in the process before spinning back around and firing his payload; shearing the two quad-barreled turrets from their housing in a blast of fire and debris. "Nice shot, we are almost there! Just keep moving!" Marcus exclaimed, wincing as a point defense round struck his Zakum and penetrated the torso, peppering him shrapnel in the process as he began to leave a trail of coolant behind him.

Having witnessed the hit, Tome looked to the mobile suit to her side, concerned for its pilot. "Marcus are you alright?" She asked, catching a glimpse of the wall of mobile suits approaching to stop them from reaching their fleet. If he had to turn back, he would need to do so now. "I'm fine, let's get our boy and get out of here!" He yelled as he darted forward ahead of Tome, intercepting the first Jegan that attempted to stop her; Douglas doing the same from the left side in tandem. "Don't stop for anyone; keep moving!" He commanded as Tome grimaced, focusing forward on Amaury's suit as several more enemy mobile suits moved in to stop her.

Leaning forward on the console in front of his captain's chair, Geoff watched with great anxiety as his pilots fought to recover one of their own; the hell they were flying through a testament to just how much the trio, or at least Marcus and Tome, cared for their brother. Douglas on the other hand expressed much distaste towards Amaury, but yet he continued forward into the hornet's nest for his fellow pilot. It was ironic to the man that they all feared that the ex-pirate pilot would betray them, when in reality it was their own commander. How could Monty do this? How could he just lead them to the slaughter and cut out? He had known the man for years, and never before had he run from a fight. Why now? "Just be careful." Geoff stated calmly, looking down at the console in front of him in both exhaustion and concern for all of the men and women now under his unified command.

Dodging past the first of the Jegans and slamming her heat hawk into the waist of the next, Tome released her weapon and kept moving forward towards Amaury; so close that she could almost see the identifying numbers on the Jaeger's shoulders. "Come on, I'm almost there!" She cried out, bursting forward at maximum speed as she approached the underside of the _Jaburo_. Almost to the other side she grunted angrily in surprise as the Stark Jesta appeared from above the ship, flying towards her with his beam sabers ready to strike.

"Get away from my trophy!" He called out, preparing to swing both weapons onto the girls only heat hawk before being blasted away from her by a shot of Elise's beam rifle; instantly drawing the girl's eyes up as the tarnished Glint swung down on the Jesta, locking blades with the now one-armed machine.

"Tome, go. This is your last try." Elise ordered as her wide eyes remained locked on Tegan's suit, smashing her long-barrelled beam rifle into his torso to jar him and gain an advantage to strike once more. "You are just like him; a fucking monster! A freak!" Tegan snarled as he blocked the attack and struck over and over again at Elise with his own as she laughed once more, though this time it was closer to a giggle. "It's okay to fear what you don't understand, but like it or not, you are one of us; a child of space and an example of our evolution. Even if such a gift was wasted on you." She taunted, bearing down on his saber blade as hard as the Glint could, forcing Tegan to boost back and away, losing control of his kill as the girl slowed to a stop by the Jaeger's side, grabbed ahold of the crippled machine and boosted away as fast as she could towards the _Bastille_.

"You bastard!" Tegan called back in reply, swinging his blade back down onto the woman as she blocked him once more. "I'm not one of you!" He growled, his eyes lighting up as their blades arced, watching as Tome made off with the Jaeger, assisted in her retreat by the two other Zakums. Infuriated by the theft of his prize and the understanding that he would not be able to recover it, he once again focused on his opponent; kneeing the cockpit door to disorient her and strike. "I was born to kill people like you!" He retaliated, swinging his blade sideways to cut the Glint in half and failing as he was once again blocked by the woman's own as she scoffed. "What a joke."

Heading back to the fleet's former flagship Tome couldn't but look down at the suit she dragged, seeing just how bad of a condition it was in. "Amaury, please be alive…" Tome pleaded out loud, feeling the tears forming in her eyes once more as she thought about just what they would find inside of his cockpit. "W-What am I going to tell Carina if you die?" She asked, recalling how the night before the battle Carina had confessed to her just how she felt about the boy; feelings she felt to an extent towards Sam. She couldn't watch her friend be crushed as she was when he was killed; Amaury had to survive. "Come on Amaury… wake up!" She called to the silent boy inside the Jaeger as she neared the carrier, signaling for the crew to open the doors. Watching the doors slowly open to half way before freezing and locked up because of the damage dealt in Cousland's trap, she didn't wait; flying in between the the halves carefully while maneuvering the disabled machine behind her.

"Tome, when you land stay there with Amaury. Things are about wrapped up out here." Geoff instructed the girl as she touched down to the deck, laying the Jaeger down on its back before it was swarmed by the hangar crews waiting anxiously for their return. "Are you sure?" The girl asked as four teams of two men a piece locked down the Jaeger to the deck with retaining cables so that it couldn't drift away while another team began to force their way into the cockpit to rescue the boy. "Yeah, it's alright. Take care of our brother." The somber captain called back, still unsure whether or not the boy has survived despite his high hopes. "I will." She replied, docking her mobile suit into the closest available bay as the doors to the hangar shut and the expanse flooded with oxygen.

Unwilling to waste time the girl made her way right to the rescue team's side while watching the machine's hatch open before stopping after just a few seconds, leaving only an opening big enough to reach an arm in. "Can you hear us?" One of the team members called into the dark cockpit as sparks emitted from a severed power cable inside, temporarily showing the silhouette of the boy each time. Shining a flashlight into the darkness, they could see his upper body still strapped to his seat, though the remainder of the boy was hidden at this angle by the debris; droplets of blood littering the cockpit and staining all they touched.

"Amaury!" Tome cried, seeing the boy intact but in what had to be critical condition; his body lifeless without so much as the slightest movement. "We are going to get you out of here!" She called out to him again, trying to force the hatch open to no avail, even with the help of the rescue team. "The damn hawk is pinning it shut; we are going to have to cut it. Please miss." One of the rescue technicians stated as he motioned for her to move from the way before turning towards the men behind him, some of which had moved a torch kit towards the Jaeger in anticipation for this.

Turning around to watch the crew ignite the cutting torches, she nodded in agreement and stepped back away from the suit while pulling her helmet off, revealing her curly hair that now lay flat from the sweat that soaked her head. She had brought him back to the ship, and the rest was out of her hands. All she could do now was stand there and watch, praying he would pull through. Watching as a medical team rushed to the suit in preparation for his removal the teary eyed girl sniffled and approached them, able to focus her concern about her best friend now that Amaury's life was not in her hands. Marcus said she was alive, but was unsure of her condition, causing her to worry. "Max, how is Carina Hughes?" She asked, approaching the young technician's side as he turned to face her. "Unconscious, but alive. She suffered multiple internal injuries, but she should recover." He stated as Tome sighed in relief, one hand holding onto her heart in the process. "Thank you." She replied, as the boy nodded, turning have attention back to the Jaeger as they tried to access the boy as quickly as possible. As soon as Amaury was free she would go to check on her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sit still while he remained inside of his metal prison; especially since she was now assigned to look after him.

With Amaury now safely returned to the _Bastille_ , Tome's two escorts turned their attention back to the battle at hand. "Now what?" Douglas asked, looking out at the few remaining Federal mobile suits as they returned to their cruisers, which in turn had broken formation and began moving away from the disabled battleship. "I'm not sure. It looks like they are retreating, finally." Marcus replied, the two hovering in place between their carriers as the _Haakon_ and the _Interdictor_ passed by them to each side. "I do believe that is the case." Geoff called to his pilots as the remainder of the Jegans and mercenaries returned to the fleet, leaving Elise and Tegan as the only active combatants in the field of play.

"Man, I can't believe we've done it." Marcus replied with an exhausted sight, looking at his bleeding arm from the damage to his mobile suit and then back out into space as the Scarlet Glint and Stark Jesta clashed over and over again, lighting up the sky with lightning from their weapons. "Sam would be so proud of us." He added as his smile faded, missing his friend dearly. Amaury had taken the boy's death particularly hard, almost as hard as Tome had, and he hoped that he too had not gone to the other side. "I know he would be Marcus." Geoff agreed as a priority transmission patched itself through.

"Reformation Fleet Command, this is Admiral Krupp. Do you copy?" A voice called out from Dresden, interrupting the fleet's tender moment as Geoff's eyes opened with a bit of a grin. "Admiral Krupp, so nice of you to call and check up on us." Geoff replied, catching the Admiral off guard, expecting to have heard Monty's voice in reply, not his. "Hello there Geoff. Where is Monty?" He asked as Geoff sighed in exasperation. "That… is a bit of a sore subject. We will talk in person." He answered as he watched the battle outside continue.

"Oh. Well, I'm assuming you are in command then. What's the status on your front?" Krupp asked as Geoff stood up straight, watching the two remaining Federation vessels as they continued to limp away. "The enemy is in full retreat with only minimal combat still occurring as we speak. I am sorry Admiral, I know the plan was to prevent any forces from evacuating, but our fleet has taken quite the beating and I feel it is best to not risk any more lives; we've already lost so many. They will be lucky if they can limp back to any Federation controlled port in two weeks, let alone contact any support for an immediate retaliation effort." Geoff replied, fearing the Admiral's recourse from his deviation from the plan.

Much to his surprise, Krupp laughed lightly under his breath, brining Geoff to raise a brow in curiosity. "Let them go. Like you said, it will be weeks before we see a Federal fleet of any size come our way. This battle is won, and you've all done well. I am so very proud to call you all my men and women in arms." Admiral Krupp replied as Geoff sighed in relief. "Bring your wounded to Dresden as soon as the battle clears; I will be expecting you all there soon. Be careful, all of you." He added as the transmission ended, bringing his attention back out into space as the two mobile suits above continued their duel to the death.

Screaming in anger as she struck frantically against the one armed Stark, Elise remained surprised at just how much this man rivaled her. When she first sensed and issued her challenge she intended for it to simply be yet another Newtype kill under her belt, never to have expected him to turn into such a worthy opponent. "I have to asked; how much longer do you plan to play with me?" The woman asked with a sly grin, her eyes following the enemy in her panoramic cockpit screen as he now chased her in a desperate attempt to reverse their role as cat and mouse.

"Surely you can do better, can't you?" She teased further, forcing Tegan to growl as his suit accelerated faster while he lunged forward. "You have no idea what I can do!" He argued, missing the back of the Glint by mere feet with the tip of his blade, though it did sheer the 'tail' from the back of her thruster unit. "Oh but I do, and it isn't enough." She replied as her eye twitched in annoyance at yet another scar on her machine.

The damage up until this point had been greatly superficial, but slowly her suit was beginning to degrade and her beam rifle's charge pack running low. It was coming time to end the fun. "I'm sorry Tegan, but your time has come to an end." The woman said with an almost disappointed sigh as she boosted forward at full thrust in spiral as the brazen boy followed behind her, firing in small bursts with his head weapons to try and stay some sort of a critical component on the strange and unusual mobile suit.

"The only way this will end is when I cut you in half!" Tegan replied in a rage, pushing his machine to the extent of its limits while his bloodshot eyes remained wide and focused on his foe. Smirking as she sensed his overwhelming resolve to just that, she cut her thrust and instantly reversed it, flying down past the boy, swinging her blade at the opportune moment to catch him off guard. Expecting an attack akin to this, Tegan struck with his own weapon, disabling and thrusting his saber towards the suit in an attempt to spear the cockpit with the blade once reactivated.

As the Glint severed the Jesta's legs from his suit, Tegan activated his beam saber at the cockpit hatch, though the woman inside foresaw the action and boosted down, allowing only the tip to damaged the cockpit hatch; the blade dragging upward across the torso as it extended until finally reaching the Glint's head, severing it from the suit in the process. Caught off guard by the boy's well calculated attack, the woman screamed out in anger at such a catastrophic blow dealt to her machine and lifted her beam rifle to the enemy Jesta, attempting to fire but missing each shot as her machine struggled to obtain an accurate visual image of the world outside.

"Bastard!" She snarled as Tegan prepared to strike again with his disabled mobile suit, grabbing onto the Glint's shoulder to stabilize himself for his strike before being driven off by a hail of 120mm fire from Douglas' Zakum, followed by a swift strike from Marcus' heathawk, severing the beam saber wielding hand from the Stark. "Guah!" Tegan exclaimed as he boosted back away from his now finished battle, discharging his smoke launchers as he boosted away as fast as the machine's remaining thrusters would allow him to.

"This isn't over!" Tegan warned as he made his escape, Marcus about lay chase before being stopped by Elise as she growled. "Let him go!" She demanded as the man turned back towards he, watching electricity arc from the severed head joint. "Let him go? We can finish him!" Marcus exclaimed in opposition, bringing the woman's scorn upon him. "I told you not to interfere, yet you did anyway! He is my kill!" She scolded in anger as Douglas looked towards her now in confusion. "Your kill?" Douglas questioned with a single chuckle, watching the enemy suit make its way back to the retreating fleet while scanning the horizon for any incoming attacks from the remainder of his mobile suit forces.

"Lady, he would have killed you if it wasn't for us. Next time we'll just leave you out to dry, how's that sound?" He continued, angered by Elise's lack of gratitude. "Alright, enough you three. The battle is won; return to the _Warsaw_. The _Bastille_ 's hangar is locked down until they get Amaury out of the Jaeger." Geoff advised as the woman huffed and began to make her way towards the carrier with her unpleased escorts, unable to sense the boys presence until almost upon the fleet. It was a miracle that he had lasted this long give the injuries the Jaeger's damage hinted he may have received.

Waiting impatiently in the crowd of crewman that had gathered around the Jaeger, Tome's heart raced, knowing that every second that Amaury remained inside of the machine without aid would be another second closer to death. "Almost there… almost there." She whispered to herself as she watched the torches nearing the edge of their cut; slicing slowly but surely through the reinforced metal door in a 'U' shape. Folding her arms across her stomach to quell the twisting feeling, she watched as the team cleared from in front of the cut and pulled the large slab down onto the hangar floor before moving it out of the way. "Go!" The team leader instructed as two men with flashlights on their helmets entered the dark, smoke filled cockpit and moved over the debris towards the boy, unbuckling him from his seat to remove him as everyone held their breath.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the first rescuer emerged from the hatch and turned to grab the boy's shoulders as they pulled him through the breach. "Over here with a board, now! And a tourniquet!" He frantically instructed to the medical team, causing Tome's heart to skip a beat and sink. "Amaury?" She called out, floating forward a bit towards him before suddenly gasping and covering her mouth in horror, seeing now that the boy's lower left leg was severed from his body just below the knee, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

"O-Oh no, Amaury!" She yelled as they pushed him down to the floor on top of a transport board and pulled his helmet from his head, tossing it aside to reveal the boy's painless face; his eyes closed in an eerie peace as blood ran from his nose and mouth, both of which remained open slightly. "The heat hawk was pinning his leg to the chassis. We tried to move him without severing it completely, but with the damage done we had no choice." The man who pulled him out stated to the medical team leader as he tied a strap around the boy's leg and tightened it to try and slow the bleeding, most of which was controlled by cauterization from the heat hawk before being torn open with the removal of his leg.

He's alive, but barely. We needed to get him to the med bay five minutes ago." One of the medical technicians stated as he finished checking the boys blood pressure; the numbers nearly unreadable in his condition. "Right. Med-Bay, we are coming up with the pilot; critically injured, but hanging on. Be prepared for the worst." The team leader called on the radio as he motioned for his two subordinates to grab their equipment and the boy. "Let's go, move!" He instructed as the team rushed off as Tome watched, her eyes staying locked to the boy until he disappeared from the hangar, at which time they switched to the boy's helmet floating above her.

Pushing off the floor she gently floated up and took it in her hands, staring into the cracked and blood splattered visor. Turning the helmet around she noticed the little flower painted on the back and instantly knew that this was to symbolize Carina, recognizing the same flower from a stick on the cover of her coveted sketch book. "Hang on just a bit longer Amaury." She whispered to herself as she looked to the damaged Jaeger, then back at the helmet. She would hold onto it for him until he needed it again, just so it would remain safe.

"What the hell happened to him?" Dr. Emerson questioned as the medical team dispatched from the hangar pulled the boy into the med-bay, quickly moving him to an available bed and sliding him off of the backboard. "Leg severed by a heat hawk, right side of his torso looks to have taken a penetrating hit from a large piece of fragmented steel, previous left forearm wound torn open and multiple smaller lacerations." The team lead reported back to the doctor while moving to the boy's head; opening his eyes and using a small light to look inside, revealing both blood filled eyes beneath. "Dual subconjunctival hemorrhages, and this blood in his nose and mouth is coming from somewhere, I just don't know where. A piece of the intruding shrapnel may have hit his lung." He added as Emerson hummed under his breath in thought, looking over the poor boys condition as he watched him struggle to breath.

"Oxygen, to start." He instructed as one of his assistants pulled a mask from beneath the bed and strapped it over the boys face carefully. Dragging a chair over to the side of the bed so that he could stand over the injured boy, Dr. Emerson leaned forward, using his stethoscope to listen to Amaury's lungs. "I don't believe anything has pierced into his lung, however I have no doubt that he suffered some kind of damage to the internal organs on the right side." He stated, looking down to the boy's leg; his most apparent life threatening injury.

With the amount of damage done by the extremely large blade and the heat that radiated from it, there was no hope to reattach the severed limb, though it was severed in a location that could easily be overcome with a prosthetic. "We need to get the bleeding stopped. What was his blood pressure?" He asked next as the technician shook his head. "I couldn't hear it, it's low. I'm surprised he's still going." The technician replied as Emerson mumbled under his breath. He was sure that he could have easily heard the boy's pressure and that these half-trained med-techs he was assigned lacked even the most basic of skill sets; something he planned to knock out of them to whip them into shape, but had not yet had enough time.

"Move him to the operating room. We've got a lot of work to do and little time left to do it." He again instructed as they quickly moved him through a door at the back of the bay towards the small operating room while Emerson turned and looked at the occupant of the bed next where the boy just was. He didn't know the face, but he knew the name Carina, and understood her to be the reason he was aboard their carriers in the first place. He also understood from rumors and talk around that the boy who now lay dying under his care was the one she had become rather smitten with, making it even harder to accept the possibility of losing this patient.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Emerson pulled a small flask from his lab coat and took the smallest of sips; enough to take the edge off and relieve the tension amounting on his shoulders with the influx of critically wounded crewman, even more with the whole other vessel to attend to once he was done here. Breaking his stare at the girl's face, he turned and got down from his step stool before making his way to Amaury's side once more to fight for the boy's life.

Bringing the damaged Glint into a rest at the end of the _Warsaw_ 's hangar, Elise sat still in her cockpit, her heart still racing both from the adrenaline charged rush of the battle and because of the anger she felt at the two men who intervened. She could have handled herself against such a miniscule threat and it was pure luck that he was able to strike her to such a successful degree. With a heavy sigh she stood from her seat as the flickering panoramic screens powered down and the damaged door opened, revealing a welcoming party of crewman of various job types. "Miss Elise, are you alright?" One of them asked as both Zakums entered the hangar and touched down, the doors closing shortly after behind them.

"I am fine." She replied, trying her best to bury the fury inside and return to a normal state of mind, watching as a crewman ran his hand along the damage done by Tegan's beam saber which had almost pierced through the innermost layer of armor into the cockpit. Calmly removing his hand from her machine, she stepped out onto the hatch and looked up at the Glint with an obvious expression of both frustration and remorse. This machine was entrusted to her by her father and she could still remember the day as a young teen that he showed it to her and asked which color she would like, smiling to herself a bit as she recalled how she so happily shouted out 'apple red' in reply, which had long been her favorite color and was heavily influenced by those suits she had watched her father fly back home.

But now the Glint rested in an uneasy slumber in need of repair; repairs she did not trust the fledgling revolutionary crew to complete. At least not without Carina to guide them as she knew well that the girl was more than capable of handling such a delicate matter, having seen just what level of monster she had created within the Jaeger and reengineered Zakums. "Nobody touch the suit at the moment. Unless it catches fire, in which case somebody better put it out." She replied as she closed the hatch behind her and made off for her private bunk room, her long blonde hair flowing freely once more as she pulled her helmet from her head and placed it at her side.

Heading towards the bridge of the ship to seek out the new captain of the fleet she could sense Carina but not her lover boy, bringing concern that Amaury may not have survived. If that were the case she would have no choice but to feel some guilt; Tegan was her opponent as she allowed him to slip through her fingers and strike the injured boy when he was most vulnerable. What was becoming of her? Concern for others was never something she expressed or even thought about, let alone any feeling of friendship. Why was being around these men and women making her… soft?

Opening his eyes, Amaury was nearly blinded by a bright white light coming from a grey fog that filled the area around him. His eyes frantically darting around he was unable to identify any of his surroundings as anything more than a pale, never-ending expanse in every direction, leading the boy to lower his head in defeat. This was it; he had died, but instead of being reunited with his love he was alone once more. How could this be the end of all things?

"Why?" He asked himself out loud as he looked down at body, taking notice that his arm had healed through the tattered flight suit he still wore. "I… I just wanted to see her again… w-why am I here alone?!" He cried out as he fell to his knees, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he did so. It wasn't fair; he had spent most of his life alone and now he was doomed to an eternity of that same loneliness? Leaning back on his legs as he looked down to his shaky hands, Amaury growled and screamed out in emotional torment before suddenly sensing something approaching, forcing him to raise his head into the fog to stare.

"H-Hello?" He asked as he sobbed, watching a figure approach through the fog as he did so. "Amaury?" The male voice asked as Amaury's eyes widened, unsure who it was that was calling him. "Stay back!" Amaury demanded, unsure what to think of what was happening. If Carina wasn't here, then who was? "Amaury Dietrich?" The voice asked again as the boy stood to his feet and backed away from the approaching figure, reaching for his handgun though it was missing, along with his knife. "I s-said stay back!" He instructed once more, his wide eyes focusing on the figure as he revealed himself finally, appearing before him as an older gentleman, likely in his late forties, with dark hair roughly the same length as his own. He was wearing what appeared to be a flight suit similar to his but much older and clearly identified as that of the original Principality of Zeon pilots.

Seeing the man before him, Amaury froze before he could step back any further. "H-How do you know my name? Who are you?" Amaury asked nervously as the man laughed slight to himself with a smile, brushing a loose hair from his face. "Answer me!" Amaury yelled, unhappy with the uneasy silence that filled this realm of existence. After a brief moment more of staring at the boy, the man nodded and looked down at his feet in a shy manner, also similar to the boy. "I am Armin Dietrich." He replied as Amaury's eyes widened and his breath quivered. "I'm your dad."

His eyes and hands shaky as he continued to stare at the man, Amaury shook his head in disbelief.

"W-What?" He questioned while he swallowed nervously, unable to look away. This couldn't be real. "I know it's hard to believe. You have probably never seen me before in any kind of pictures, and I understand why. When your mother fled Axis, I doubt she had any time to pack or take anything with her." He began to explain as the boy listened, still in shock and disbelief. His father was dead, so that truly did mean he was as well, right? "My m-mother?" Amaury stuttered as Armin nodded, looking back down with a disheartened look, though a smile crept over his features as he remembered the woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

"Yes, your mother; Sophie. You know, she was so excited when she found out she was pregnant with you, Amaury. I had never seen her smile so much in the years I had known her, and we would spend hours just talking about how things would be when you were born." He continued as he recalled the memories that flashed before his eyes; each one filling him with love and torment equally. "I'm… so sorry that I never got to see that day. I'm sorry that I never got to meet you in life. I never intended for it to work out this way." Armin admitted with a sad expression as he walked closer to his frozen son, staring into his eyes as he placed both hands on the boy's shoulders. How could that be? How could any of this be? If his mother was so excited for his birth, then why would she abandon him only fourteen years later? And if it was the difficulty of losing his father, then why not sooner?

"S-She…" Amaury opened his mouth to speak, but bit his tongue instead. With how he spoke of his mother he could tell that even in death he still loved her, and the boy refused to ruin that. He could know for all he understood, but incase he didn't, he would remain silent. "But now seeing you here, sensing what you and your friends have done… I can say that I am so proud of you and what you have become. You saw what was wrong with your world, and you stood up for what is right." He continued as Amaury stared up at his father, his mouth open to speak but the words unable to form as tears formed in his eyes.

Seeing his son struggle Armin grinned, knowing that feeling all too well. He had hoped his son would have been better with words than he had been his entire life, but it appeared that specific Dietrich gene ran too deep to be weeded out so easily. Without any other words, Armin wrapped his arms around his son and hugged him tightly, and much to Amaury's surprise the hug felt real, not like an illusion.

Remaining still Amaury closed his eyes, his arms pressed to his sides as his father backed up and gently patted his left shoulder, just as Amaury grunted in pain; his body flashing with light as if he had been struck with lightning. "W-What was that?" He questioned as his chest began to hurt and his father smiled, even though his face expressed lament. "They are bringing you back to the physical world, Amaury." Armin stated as Amaury looked back to his father, then around him as the fog grew thinner.

"D-Dad, I-" Amaury began as Armin smiled, hearing that word for the first time. "I'll be waiting for you and your mother. We will all see each other again one day. Just… don't come back too soon. I don't want your journey to end early like mine, especially with that girl of yours." His father said with a smile before lifting a hand up as he remembered something else. "But before you go, there is one more person who would like to say something." He finished, as Amaury sensed someone else approaching from the fog. "Carina?!" He called out, spinning towards the approaching person to find not the girl he loved, but the friend he had lost.

"S-Sam?" He asked as tears rolled down his cheeks, the blonde boy still wearing his suit as he smiled and held out his arms. "Who else?" He called, bringing the boy to run towards him and jump into a hug, almost knocking Sam backwards. "Sam!" He repeated as he cried. Never in his wildest dreams did Amaury imagine he would ever see him again, and yet here he was. "I'm s-so sorry." Amaury sobbed as Sam smiled and shook his head, knowing that his death had took quite the toll on his friends. "Don't be sorry Amaury. My death wasn't your fault, I was doing all that I could to save Tome." He replied, patting the boys back as Amaury stepped back, staring at his friend before looking down and nodding. "And you did save her. You are a hero, Sam." Amaury replied, as Sam grinned and laughed lightly.

"A hero? No." He replied, playfully waving his hand as if to push the thought of him being a hero away before Amaury flashed again, screaming in pain as the world became dark around him except for the light that both his father and Sam emitted. "You need to go back Amaury. They need you. And I need you to watch over Tome for me, okay?" He asked as Amaury sniffled and nodded. It seemed that he had no choice in the matter, and would be brought back to the land of the living regardless if he wanted to be or not. "I will Sam. I promise." He replied with a smile, before frowning a bit at the disappointment of not seeing Carina.

"But, before I am sent back, I have to know… where… w-where is she? Where is Carina?" He asked as Sam grinned and turned to Armin, who remained smiling. He was just like him; always caring the most about the woman he loved. "You will see here soon." Sam replied as Armin once again placed a hand out onto his son's shoulder. "Goodbye for now. And… tell your mother that I still love her." He stated with a heavy heart before the world suddenly disappeared into a black abyss with one final sharp pain in his son's chest.

"Third attempt successful!" A medical technician holding a set of defibrillator paddles called out as Amaury's heartbeat returned to the monitor behind him, bringing a sigh of relief to the exhausted technician who was conducting CPR as well as the doctor whose hands diligently worked to repair the damage done to his chest wall. "Excellent. Good work." Emerson replied, finishing up his closure of the large wound with a series of carefully placed staples. Whatever it was that hit him, which in the doctor's opinion seemed to be a chunk of a large caliber armor-penetration round, tore into his side, broke two of his ribs and nicked the bottom of his right lung as well as his liver.

How he remained fighting for his life this long was amazing, especially from the additional blood loss from his severed leg, though from what the extraction team stated it would appear his leg had all but stopped bleeding before he was pulled from his suit. "How are you doing?" He asked one of his surgical techs who was in the process of doing what he could to clear the burned scar tissue and stop the life-threatening bleeding, as well as clear a spot for a prosthetic mount. "Almost there. What size attachment do you think he will need?" He questioned as he prepared to mount the piece of metal permanently to what remained of his lower leg bones.

"Don't worry about that now, all we need to do is make sure the wound is clean cut, and that he doesn't bleed to death." Emerson replied, watching as another of the med-bay crew entered the surgical suite carrying several scans of the boys body he had ordered to make sure they had not missed anything, checking to make sure both IV lines still flood crucial life-saving blood into the boy's veins. "Finally, what took so long?" He scolded as the messenger quickly opened the the envelope and began to hang the printed scans on a light board in the room. "I'm sorry sir, there is so much going on; so many wounded to attend to." He replied as Emerson scoffed and walked over to the board, looking through the scans; a sinking feeling coming over him as he reached the scan of the boy's head, showing an amount of blood on his brain.

"Kids having a fuckin' brain bleed." Emerson stated out loud as he continued to to look over the scans. It was clear that he had experienced great trauma, both from his injuries and from the force of the battle itself; the bleeding in his nose partial caused by burst blood vessels along his sinus cavity were likely from such force. "A brain bleed?" One of the surgical techs asked as Emerson nodded. "How are we going to fix that? We don't have the ability to perform brain surgery." He answered nervously as the doctor smirked.

"Boys, you are forgetting who you are talking to here. I've made a fortune on matters of the brain; and I don't mean all that emotional-feely crap." Emerson replied, turning back to the boy whose skull was under pressure and would soon start to take permanent damage, if it hadn't already. He knew well that he had to relieve said pressure, but to do so in the traditional sense meant sacrificing this boy's livelihood; removing any part of his skull would render him incapable of piloting a mobile suit ever again or risk fracturing the bonded bone apart. Was the boy ready to give up the life he had become accustomed to? He had only met the boy once but in seeing him in person and from stories he had heard, he knew Amaury was a fighter inside and out, so he doubted the justification of taking that away from him if there was another option, which there was; the SICOS.

He had never attempted to relieve brain swelling through the process of installing his invention into anyone, though in his mind it didn't seem all too complicated since he would have to create a miniscule path to the brain stem anyway, opening a perfect path for a small drainage tube to allow the excess blood and fluid to escape. However, the SICOS. was a heavy commitment that would result in a lifetime of maintenance and upkeep just to stay alive, or at least it was at the moment, and this decision was one he refused to make for the boy.

"Is Miss Hughes awake yet?" He asked out loud as one of the staff went to check, returning a few moments later shaking her head. "No sir, she is still unconscious." The young woman replied as Emerson groaned in annoyance, taking another small swig of his flask out of view. With the boy's life hanging in the balance and a lack of a decision likely to kill him, he couldn't wait for her to wake up. The decision had to be made now. "Find me this fleet's command." He instructed as he sighed and turned back to the boy, wondering just how much more his battered body could withstand. "Hurry."

Listening to the words being spoken around her, Carina's eyes stirred open sometime later, knowing that voices to be those of Marcus and Tome. "Tome? Marcus?" She questioned as the blurry room came into focus around her and a swift pounding headache struck. At the sound of her raspy voice, both of the friends stopped their conversation and looked to the girl; Tome's eyes wide as she threw her hands up in the air. "Carina!" She screamed as rushed forward and plopped on the side of the bed, instantly wrapping her arms around the girl's neck in a hug while also being careful not to hurt her injuries.

Unable to resist her smile, Carina in turn hugged her back, wincing as she moved her arms. "Oh I'm so glad you are okay!" Tome continued as Marcus laughed, walking over the the hospital room's window to look out as Carina looked on, noticing now that they were back on a colony, though she was unsure which. "We… we won?" She asked as Tome nodded frantically, wiping her tears of joy from her face as Carina continued to stare out at the trees and high rises of the colonies, some of which were burned and bombed out from what she assumed was the combat that occurred during the uprising. "How long was I unconscious?" She questioned as Marcus looked over to her and took a deep breath."A little short of twenty four hours, but I can understand why. You were thrown into the ceiling of the hangar with some pretty good force, from what the other crewman present told us. You broke a few ribs and punctured a lung, received a concussion, even with your helmet on as well as multiple bruises." Marcus replied as Carina placed one hand on her stomach, which was tender to the touch; recalling that Monty was the reason this likely hurt.

In remembering Monty's betrayal she remembered his fight against Amaury, bringing her eyes to widen and look up at Marcus and then Tome. "Where is Amaury?" She asked, her words seeming rushed as if she couldn't say them fast enough and caused both Tome and Marcus to look at one another, questioning silently which one would answer her. "Why are you not answering me? Where is he?!" She questioned again as she tried to sit up further, crying out in pain as Tome gently pushed her back down by her shoulders.

"Carina you need to sit back and rest." Tome instructed as the girl stared at her, shaking her head while squeezing the blanket over her with her hands tightly. "Please tell me!" She begged with tears in her eyes as Tome's remained locked to hers, then back to Marcus; deciding it would be her who spoke first. "He's alive." She replied with a disheartened tone, watching Carina sigh in relief, making what had to come next even worse. "But he is in critical condition." The girl added as Carina's heart sank and her eyes grew wide.

"W-What?" She questioned, as Marcus turned towards her from his position at the window, leaning against it as he crossed his arms. "When you were knocked out by the blast, your body floated out into space and of course, Amaury being Amaury, he jumped out after you. I brought you back into the _Bastille_ , but he took off with you before anyone else could reach you." He began, recalling the frantic fear in Amaury's voice and actions. "He thought you were dead, and to be fair, so did we all; not knowing that in his distressed state he didn't check to see if you were really dead or not." Marcus began, taking a deep breath as he next thought of the brief conversation he had with the boy before he exited back into the hangar. "He went… crazy. Stormed off to battle with… well, the intention to die and take as many of them with him as he could, all with the goal of making it back to you in the afterlife." The man continued as Carina's hands slowly migrated to her chest as her heart pounded painfully against her bruised ribs.

"He…" She attempted to reply as the tears that welled up in her eyes ran freely down her cheeks. He wanted to die so that he could be with her? The thought that he cared so deeply for her that he believed he couldn't live without her brought her immense warmth in her breaking heart, but at the same time if he pushed himself to the brink of destruction when she was in danger, what had he done when he thought she was dead? What had become of the boy she loved with all of her heart?

"I-I want to see him." She replied as she found herself unable to hold back her tears, looking up to Marcus, then to Tome who also cried silently as she recalled the entire battle; from his screams of anger, heartbreaking grief and pain to what he thought were his dying words, expressing how he loved her with his last conscious breath. "Are you sure? You really should be resting Carina." Marcus questioned as her teary eyes focused back up to the dark skinned man with a determined stare.

"I need to be there n-next to him, Marcus. H-He… he needs me. Y-You know if the roles were reversed, he… he would be by my side. P-Please Tome, don't keep me from him." She sobbed loudly as she begged her friend as Tome continued to stare at her, recalling Amaury's words well. She was right; he did need her, and she knew that Carina would never be able to rest knowing that the boy that she loved was fighting for his life alone.

"Alright." Tome replied as she stood from the bed with a small smile, wiping her eyes in the process. "But you are not walking. I am going to find you a wheelchair, wait here. Marcus." Tome stated, turning to the man as he nodded. "I won't let her walk, don't worry." He replied with a grin as Carina attempted to dry her eyes, though the tears continued; unstoppable due to the fear she harbored inside of her chest at what she would find when she was reunited with Amaury. Was he even in one piece? "H-Have you seen him yet Marcus?" Carina asked as she waited for Tome to return, bringing the man to look down and nod. "Yes. He… he is a strong kid. He'll be okay, regardless of the circumstances." Marcus replied, not wanting to yet reveal what Emerson had done to save the boy's life.

Hearing his words, Carina took a deep breath and laid back in her bed carefully as she continued to sob; the thought of Amaury fighting for his life alone driving the sharp knife she felt in heart deeper and deeper by the second. "Thank you." She simply replied to the man as Tome returned with a wheelchair and helped the anxious girl into it before cautiously moving her to her lover's side, all while Marcus remained standing at the window sill. "He'll be okay." He reassured himself while watching two Jegans in the distance on patrol; both of which still had red flags draped over their left shoulder to show allegiance to the new colonial order. "He'll be okay."


	25. Chapter 25: Come To Pass

For the nine days that followed her return to the boy's side Carina could do little but rest and watch him struggle to survive. She had been so stricken with grief when Tome reunited them that she fell to her knees, crying out in pure heartbreak as she watched a machine keep the boy breathing. It seemed like a nightmare more than anything else, despite the fact that Dr. Emerson's appearance made it abundantly clear it was in fact reality. At his description of the boys injuries Carina continued to cry as Tome knelt down beside her to comfort her friend; the worst of which being when the doctor moved on to say that at one point Amaury had gone into cardiac arrest due to the trauma and blood loss sustained, bringing the girl to grasp her own chest in sheer soul-crushing grief that he came so close to being gone from her forever as well as that she was not there by his side through it all.

But at Emerson's mention of the SICOS the girl immediately stopped her sobbin, stood and walked over to the doctor and slapped him across the face as hard as she could muster; furious that he would make such a decision without Amaury's consent. She argued that she had hidden the SICOS from the crews for a reason and that she was unsure how they managed to find the damned machine in the first place, to which Emerson stated that he had used one from his personal collection; an experimental model designed to circumvent the dangers and issues of its predecessor that had been originally designed for Aye, though the doctor believed he would understand.

Uncaring how advanced or how much safer the prototype was, she remained angered as Emerson explained how it was between this and never flying again, and once he revealed that the decision was made by Admiral Krupp himself, she immediately returned to tears and apologized, though the good if not slightly inebriated doctor shook his head and stated that he was not at all upset and understood her reaction.

Since that day Carina watched as Amaury's condition improved and he was slowly weaned off of the machines that kept him alive and while Carina was happy that he was doing better he still hadn't woken up from his coma. Every chance she had she found herself praying to any god that would listen that he would open those big brown eyes of his and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Everything had gone wrong, so horribly wrong, and she couldn't keep from blaming herself. If she hadn't been knocked out Amaury might not have suffered, he still might have his leg and he _certainly_ wouldn't have had that monstrosity of a machine implanted into his head, and despite the fact that Tome insisted that none of this was her fault, she couldn't help shake the feeling overcoming her heart, making it almost impossible to eat or sleep.

By the fifth day she became overwhelmed with the feeling of helplessness and part of her wished to return to work just to pass the time, though the doctors at the hospital disagreed and urged her to continue to rest. Despite what her heart wished for, the majority of her mind knew she would never be able to focus with the hope that her Amaury would wake at any second and she wanted to be there when he did.

Still, she did not fully understand what exactly Marcus meant when he said that Amaury went 'crazy', and despite Tome's best efforts to describe exactly what happened Carina still yearned to know more, leading her to one solution; the black box data recorder from the Jaeger. All mobile suits were typical equipped with these devices much like aircraft and to the best of her knowledge none of them had been removed, so unless it was destroyed it would still reside behind the seat of the battered machine. Unable to stray from the hospital and retrieve the recorder herself, she waited for Tome to return on the night of the fifth day before asking her to be her hands; to collect the recorder as well as something to watch the recordings with.

At first Tome refused, saying that it would be too much for her to handle at the moment in her condition, but slowly she was convinced to do her best friend's bidding; returning later that night with both the requested data recorder as well as a small computer Carina could rig to view it. A little while later after the two sat and talked for some time Tome stated that she had to leave, destined for a good night's sleep in preparation for more work in the morning. There was a lot happening around Side 3 at the moment, and the now combat-seasoned pilots of the Movement had been tasked with forming the New Republic of Zeon's mobile suit division.

"Remember, if you need me, just call my cell phone; you know, now that we have them back." Tome teased, waving her phone in the air as Carina nodded. "I know Tome, I know. I'll talk to you soon." She replied as her friend left her for the night and shut the door behind her. Wasting no time hooking the two machines together, Carina's heart raced as she began watching the events Marcus described unfold with her own eyes, instantly diving into the battle through the eyes of her lover's suit as well as a camera that looked down on him.

She watched nervously as the boy tore his way through his enemies following his decree to kill them all, even covering her mouth in horror as he executed Cousland into nothing more than pink mist. But as the video played she found herself focusing more on his words; each one expressing more and more of the boy's heartbreak and eventually bringing her to tears as he cried out that Cousland had killed his Carina. Nearing the recordings end she cried out in horror as she watched the blow that mortally wounded he love in front of her eyes; his screaming shooting right through her heart as she reached forward to take the boy's hand. "M-My A-Amaury…" She whispered in horror as the boy's voice feebly whispered his finally goodbye; the words too much for her to bear in silence, reducing her to tears.

But as he confessed to Marcus that he loved her, she stopped and froze. He loved her? That would mean that this strange feeling that had grown over the both of them these past months was in fact love. Could that be true? It had to be; why else would all of this have happened? What else could have driven him to such madness? Even though she was alone her face flushed dark red as she smiled and leaned forward, kissing Amaury's lips gently. "I l-love you too, Amaury. P-Please wake up soon. Please." She whispered softly, resting her head next to his and intertwining their fingers as she closed her teary eyes and slowly fell asleep, dreaming once more about the boy waking up.

The next morning the girl woke to the sound of one of the facility's nurses entering to check in the boy as well as to clean him as best as could be done with all of his injuries. "Oh, I'm sorry miss, I didn't mean to wake you." The nurse stated as she turned to leave, but as Carina spotted the cleaning materials in her hands she suddenly had an idea. "Wait!" She called as the nurse stopped and turned towards the girl who carefully stood from the chair next to her love and stepped forward; almost losing her balance in the process from a sharp pain in her side. "Miss!" The nurse yelled as Carina caught herself and stood on her own, smiling nervously up at the woman. "I'm fine, um… do you think you could teach me how to clean him up? The right way, I mean. I want to do something to help him, but I'm not sure what else I can do." Carina asked as the nurse blinked in confusion before smiling back to the girl.

"Well typically we wouldn't allow anyone to clean a patient who wasn't a healthcare provider… but we also don't usually have such a large influx of patients." She replied with a smile as she continued over to Amaury's side with the supplies to clean him, checking the vitals on the machine for monitoring purposes before proceeding to show Carina what to do; from the simplest tasks like his arms and legs to the more complex, such as cleaning around his healing prosthetic attachment point and the SICOS data jack; even teaching her to clean more personal area's on the boy's body, stating that if she was going to learn she would have to learn the right way or not at all, which with great embarrassment the girl agreed to.

After she finished instructing the girl how to conduct the wash, the nurse stood back and watched Carina perform the task herself, and upon its completion smiled and nodded. "Well congratulations; you've got yourself a job." She said as Carina looked back to her and grinned, excited that she was finally able to do something for the boy besides sit and cry, and for the next three days the task of cleaning the boy was left to her, each morning and night.

On the morning of the ninth day Carina bathed the boy early, well before the artificial sun had even began to rise on Dresden as she found herself unable to sleep even a few minutes that night; overcome with night terrors about how the boy may never wake up. She spent most of the night sitting by his side with her tablet in hand, aimlessly doodling designs for further Zakum improvements as well as a variant she had been working on for some time; one designed to be a swift moving fighter based on combat feedback from both Amaury's and Tome's flight characteristics.

Finishing her morning task, she gently dried the boy's face with a towel, noticing even further reduction in the bruising around his eyes as she did so. His body was healing, but yet he had still not returned to her. "Why are you making me wait?" She asked with a frown, though as the first rays of light peaked through the window illuminating his face she couldn't help but smile. She would wait for eternity if she had to, even if it meant spending every day in this hospital room with him. With a big yawn Carina turned towards the bathroom and picked up a few things she needed to shower, hoping that maybe the warm water would calm her nerves and help her sleep. It had always made her sleepy before, so it would hopefully do the same now.

Taking one last look at her sleeping Amaury, the girl turned and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her, only to return a short time later wearing a fresh pair of hospital sweatpants, a tank top and, of course, Amaury's jacket, which had not left her side for more than a few minutes while being cleaned since she woke up from her concussion. Seeing that he had not woken up in her half hour away from his side, she pulled up her chair next to him and looked out the window as several colony birds flew by, chirping at one another as they chased their leader.

With a sigh she reached up and brushed his hair gently before running her hands through her own to prevent any tangling before folding her arms on his lap and placing her head into them; her eyes focusing back out into the colony once more. What would he say when he woke up? Would he be happy to see her? She sure hoped so. Why couldn't he just wake up already? She had so very much to tell him, and it was killing her inside. Closing her eyes with a final yawn, she turned her head towards the boy and nuzzled her head into the sleeves of his jacket, making herself as comfortable as possible before slowly drifting off into a much needed sleep.

Slowly the world began to fade into being as Amaury's eyes finally opened, revealing the heavily bloodshot sclera beneath his bruised and barely open eyelids; almost blinded once more by the bright light of an outside world as his head pounded and his ears rang. "Ngg…" He moaned under his breath as he stared at the ceiling in a daze. Was he alive or was this another form of the afterlife he had just been sent from? He was cold, but at the same time his face felt hot, leading him to believe he had some sort of fever.

Trying to lift himself he soon found himself to be extremely weak and unable to even bring himself forward the tiniest bit, and there didn't seem to be any spot on his body that didn't scream in pain. In defeat he simply laid back down, turning his eyes to look out the window to what appeared to be Dresden. They were back on the colonies? They won? They really won? Slowly a smile crept over his face as he closed his eyes in disbelief, but unfortunately it didn't last long at the realization that he had survived while Carina had not. He had hoped his encounter with his father and Sam was more than just a dream, but now back in reality it seemed that it was nothing more than a fever-driven hallucination. Why did this happen? Why would he be made to suffer now for the rest of his life without her? Biting his lip within his dry mouth Amaury closed his damaged eyes tightly, fighting back what tears his depleted body could muster. It wasn't fair that he had spent so much time alone, only to find the one person who truly made him feel like he belonged and have her taken away from him so suddenly. It just wasn't fair.

Letting a single sob slip through from his mouth, he felt something shift its weight on his legs, causing the boy to freeze and open his eyes once more; curious as to what was on him. Lifting his head with all of his might and using his weak arms to prop up his torso, he stared in shock as the woman he loved more than he could explain rested comfortably on his lap; her long black hair still wet from her shower and her arms folded under her as a pillow while his jacket continued to keep her warm.

"C-C…" Amaury attempted to call her name, wincing at the burning in his throat as he did so. How long was he out that his throat hurt to speak? "Car-r…" He tried again, his arms shaking as he forced himself to sit further. How could he have not seen her? Had he been so drawn to the light of the outside after spending what seemed like an eternity in darkness? The tears he harbored within his heavy eyelids began to flow freely down his cheeks as he attempted to call her name a third time, thought as he began her head stirred and looked up at him in a sleepy gaze. "C-Ca… rina!" His raspy voice finally managed to choke out, forcing her eyes open wide to meet his as she stared once more at her lover; something she began to believe she may never do again.

Lifting herself cautiously from his lap with shaky arms, her eyes instantly well up with tears that ran from her eyes like a river. "A-Amaury…?" She stuttered as the two continued to stare at one another before finally she rushed forward and took him into her arms carefully, holding him against her shoulder as he cried. "Y-You are alive… I-I thought... I-I lost y-you… C-Carina..." He sobbed into her shoulder as she bit her lip, unsure what she should say or do; her mind overwhelmed with relief and joy that he was awake while still feeling the pain of his cry cut into her heart like a knife.

"I know, I'm sorry." She replied while nuzzling gently against his head, one hand supporting his back and the other gently running through his hair in a calming fashion as he held onto her arms for dear life; afraid to ever let go again. "I didn't m-mean to… Amaury, I… I'm so s-sorry." The girl whispered as she closed her eyes, overwhelmed by his return to her and his expression of such much sorrow that she swore she could feel it filling the air around her.

"I-I w-wanted to d-die to be with you, I…" He began, panting heavily from just how badly his body hurt, exacerbated by his excessive crying despite the fact that it was involuntary and could not be stopped now even if he wanted to. She was alive and the pain he now endured was nowhere close to the pain he felt in the moment of what he thought was her death. "I… I know you did, Amaury… I w-watched your suit's data recorder…" Carina admitted as her grip on his back tightened a bit, his declaration of love for her still fresh on her mind.

"I saw e-everything…" She added as the boy continued to cry, everything that happened flashing back to him in vivid thoughts, including his final farewell. If she watched and saw everything, then she knew that he told Marcus that he loved her. "I…" He began to speak, stopping for a moment to think about his words carefully. He had never lied or kept a secret from her before, and this certainly would be no different, especially with everything that had happened. He needed to say what was on his mind before something else happened and these words never get brought to light; words she needed to hear from him in person, not a data recorder.

"I-I love you, Carina, a-and I..." Amaury whispered between sobs as he buried his head deeper into her shoulder, unafraid to admit when he had come to understand. "I-I…" He attempted to continue speaking in order to explain himself before sitting back as he began a violent coughing fit, straining himself to the point that a small amount of blood ran from his mouth.

Seeing the boy struggle to catch his breath Carina gently lowered him back down onto his pillow, frowning as she reached up and gently wiped away his tears before moving to the blood on his lip. "I k-know you do." She replied as her frown slowly turned to a small smile and her heart raced faster in her chest. "A-And I love you too, A-Amaury." She softly admitted without hesitation, absolutely certain that this was love as the panting boy looked up to her with his heavy eyes, still overflowing with tears even with her efforts to wipe them away.

"I've k-known it for s-some time, though I only recently u-understood what this feeling in my heart meant; a feeling that… t-that has slowly grown s-since the first day I met you." Carina confessed, her teary cheeks bright red as she looked down at the boy's hands in his lap, one of which was flipped over for her to take. Gladly interlocking their fingers together, she reached up with her free hand and cupped the side of his face gently in her palm, caressing his cheek softly with her thumb. "The more that I-I think about our future, the d-deeper in love with you I fall, and the m-more my heart desires for your dream of our life together." The girl continued as she shifted herself carefully, lying next to him on the bed facing towards him as she placed their hands over his heart; their eyes remaining locked together as he turned his head toward her.

"Watching y-you struggle to survive this past week, I was so afraid that you w-would never wake up, and t-that our dreams would be lost… b-but now I'm just so happy t-that you came back to me." She said as she recalled his promise to return while the boy continued his trance-like stare into her endless green eyes. "I-I can't live w-without you… I c-can't…" Amaury replied as Carina shook her head, once more running her thumb across his cheek. "You won't have to, my Amaury." She spoke to calm his stammering voice with a smile as she moved closer and placed her forehead to his while his face grew dark red at her referring to him as her Amaury. "I love you." The girl whispered as she pressed her lips to his; the two lovers kissing for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. "I love you too... my Carina." He whispered in return, the use of their little pet saying bringing the girl to giggle lightly before they both closed their eyes, enjoying their reformed bond in a silent, loving embrace.

After a while Carina opened her eyes and looked to the boy who upon feeling her head slightly move raised his heavy eyes to hers. "How are you feeling?" She questioned as he formed the smallest of smirks. "Lousy." He replied, to which she smiled and slowly moved closer to him, wrapping an arm gently around his head to hold him against her chest and subconsciously play with his hair. "Well I would expect so. You, Amaury Dietrich, gave me quite a scare." Carina teased as Amaury smiled weakly. "I'm sorry." The boy apologized in his true Amaury form as she kissed his forehead. Feeling the heat from her chest on his face the boy blushed, their bare skin touching due to her attire. "Am… am I m-making you uncomfortable?" He asked, looking up at her as Carina looked back down with a shake of her head, though she too blushed having felt the warmth of his body against hers.

"Hush." She replied softly as she continued to play with his hair, leading him to move his head into her fingers. "You couldn't make me uncomfortable if you tried. Besides… I think we are well past the point of pretending we don't find any physical attraction in one another." She whispered, squeezing his hand and head simultaneously, teasingly pressing him against her chest with a small giggle in an effort to cheer him up or make him feel just a little bit better if at all possible.

Blushing deeper, the boy did smile as he rested against her and placed his right hand on her knee; her warmth helping combat the chill his fever was producing across his body. "Don't try and d-draw too much… blood from my head." He replied weakly as Carina bit her lip at his perverted joke, though she provoked it in the first place. "Amaury!" She scoffed in a playful tone, squeezing him once more as her mind drifted through the content cloud she had suddenly found herself on since his awakening.

She had hoped and prayed every minute that he would wake up, but she could have never imagined how relieved she would be once it happened, even knowing the war was still fare from won. In fact, an uneasy peace had fallen over the Side 3 as those who were loyal to the Federation were permitted to leave the nine New Republic controlled colonies to seek refuge in the remaining three Federal, though it took a bit of negotiating for the opposite to occur. Soon Admiral Krupp and the provisional New Republic government would announce the next step in the plan, and while Carina was interested to hear what their next course of action would be, she knew that also meant that Amaury might be expected to return to the front line; something she was sure he was not ready for.

Looking up with his bloodshot eyes to see Carina lost in thought as she stared out of the window to the colony outside, Amaury gently nuzzled his head into his chest to get her attention. "Hmm?" She hummed with a smile as she looked back down to the boy who she held securely in her arms. "How a-are you f-feeling? A-are you alright?" He asked as he thought that maybe he really was hurting her with the weight of his decrepit body. Tilting her head a bit at his question her grin widened and she shook her head. Even after everything he had been through he still cared only for how she was doing, not yet even asking about his own injuries.

"I'm alright Amaury. That explosion threw me into the ceiling of the hangar. I broke a few ribs which in turn punctured my lung and I got a concussion from the force of my impact, but other than that I just have a bunch of bruises, most of which have already healed. Emerson fixed my ribs and lung that day, so I'm alright, I promise. Don't worry about me so much." She explained even though she knew he was just like her and could never stop worrying about the one he loved.

At her answer Amaury looked back down at their intertwined hands, remembering just what happened in the Hangar that day. Monty tried to kill him for no apparent reason, first with his pistol and then with his knife, and then even further with his bare hands. He even assaulted Carina, which at the thought caused Amaury's heart to race with anger. But the last memory the boy seemed to have of Monty was right before the explosion that injured Carina, and from that point forward he couldn't recall the man's presence at all; either by sight, sound or sense.

"Did Monty b-betray us?" He asked as the mention of the man's name sent shivers up Carina's spine and twisted her stomach into a disgusted knot. "Yeah, he did. And he stole the Ares… he used us to find it and restore it to working order, then made off with it when we needed him the most." Carina replied in anger, knowing that Monty fled as she floated lifelessly out into space, leaving the one who had truly loved her this whole time to chase after her in a heartbroken panic.

"Fuck Monty; we don't need him to win this war, and you don't need to be worrying about him. You just need to focus on getting better so that things can get back to normal. We still have a dinner date on raincheck, don't we?" She replied with a smile as Amaury looked up with his own and nodded. "Yes we do." He whispered back as she once more kissed his forehead, though as he looked down his smile slowly faded.

Even if she didn't want him to think about their ex-leader, Amaury couldn't help it; not so much because he abandoned them but because he put his hands on Carina. His actions directly threaten her life, and if he ever showed his face again he would pay for it dearly. "How long was… I out?" Amaury asked, knowing that it had been at least a week based on what Carina mentioned, bringing the girl to frown.

"Nine days. You made me wait nine days." She replied with a small joke and a swift poke to the nose to try and remain in good spirits, though with his next question her heart sank. "What exactly… happened to me?" His hoarse voice asked after a short while more of silence, still unsure of what exactly his injuries were. Anything and everything on his body was in pain, and although she knew he was bound to ask sooner or later, she had yet to decide exactly how to explain it all.

"I… I lost my leg, didn't I?" The boy asked before she could formulate a reply, noticing that it was the only thing that wasn't hurting him in the least bit. It would make sense as from what he could recall Tegan's heat hawk struck the left side of the Jaeger and pinned him in the cockpit. Swallowing nervously, Carina quietly cleared her throat and prepared for what had to be the most painful and difficult conversation of her life. What would he say? How would he react?

"Y-Yes, you did…" She replied before taking a deep breath, still holding his head to her chest. "They s-said the heat hawk had a-almost completely severed it... a-and when they pulled you from your suit it… it didn't come with you." Carina painstakingly informed the boy as she began to feel sick to her stomach. Hearing that he did in fact lose his leg, his eyes widened just a bit as he now noticed the lack of an imprint in the sheet below his left knee. "Ah." The boy stated after a brief moment of silence, shocking the teary eyed girl behind him. That was all he had to say?

"I'll be… okay without it. But that wasn't it t-though, was it? I… I feel w-way worse than j-just losing half a leg…" He questioned next, looking up at his love with a small, reassuring half smile before lowering his exhausted head back down. Despite his positive demeanor, Carina remained worried. How could he simply not care that something he had spent his whole life literally attached to was now gone, never to return?

"No, it wasn't. You also were struck by what Emerson believed to be a fragmenting high caliber round. The pieces injured your right lung, as well as your ribs. It tore the staples out of your left arm as well." She continued, stopping to swallow nervously as she approached the most harrowing part of his injuries. "And… y-your… brain was bleeding. Dr. Emerson doesn't know exactly what caused it, but… with all of your injuries compiled together, you lost a _lot_ of blood and your heart… y-your heart s-stopped. He brought you back t-to life, but..." She paused, fighting back tears as she thought about how different life would be if Emerson had not saved her Amaury.

Instead of holding him she would be burying him right now; a thought that caused the tears to overflow from her eyes, despite the fact that it had not come to pass. But as she prepared to finish her sentence she felt the sickness return to her stomach at the disgust that still remained for Emerson's actions, regardless or not if it was Admiral Krupp who authorized the procedure. "H-He… he put… the SICOS in your neck t-to… relieve the pressure from the bleed I… I w-wasn't there to stop him."

Hearing her words and the sorrow attached to them, Amaury looked back up to his lover from the comfortable position he had moved to a few seconds prior, gently squeezing her hand to tell her it was alright and that he was here now. So he did die then? Did that mean he actually did see Sam and his father? He had never seen any pictures, but what he saw matched his mother's description almost down to the last detail about his personality. Could his then fragile mind really have been capable of formulating all of that? "I… died? W-wait..." He questioned, stopping as he now realized now what followed in her words. The SICOS? He had the SICOS inside of him now?

Letting go of her hand temporarily, the boy slowly reached up with his trembling fingers towards his neck, struggling to lift his injured and weak arm past his shoulder, catching Carina's attention. "H-here." She whispered, gently using her left hand to guide his fingers up to the SICOS port placed just above the base of his neck, careful not to allow him to bump into it too hard. His fingertips feeling the slightly raised piece of circular metal maybe an inch and a half in diameter, he shifted his eyes to Carina who he knew did not want him to have the device implanted, instantly forcing her to sob once as she failed to hold back her tears any longer.

"I'm so sorry A-Amaury, I should h-have been there… he… he claimed that if he h-he didn't you could n-never fly again. B-but… at what cost? W-what if something happens because of it? Then what? I can't lose you again, especially not because of this… I should have been there." Carina questioned, carefully lowering Amaury's arm back to his stomach, though she refrained from holding his hand out of remorse and guilt; her own eyes now focused on the absence of his lower left leg.

"You needed m-me and I wasn't there… That is part of my responsibility as your girlfriend; to protect and take care of you when you can't… I failed. I-I'm sorry." She cried as she closed her eyes to hide them from the boy, who shook his head, attempting to calm her down. He wasn't blaming her for what happened nor did he think any of it was her fault, and hearing her being so hard on herself was only making his heart ache more than it already was. "Car-" He attempted to speak but with a fresh gasp of air Carina spoke over him. "I-I promise that from n-now on I'm going to do better, both as an engineer and as t-the one who wants to spend their life at your side, I-" She rambled between sobs before Amaury could work up the strength to lift himself up to kiss her, bringing an end to her panicked apology. Shocked by his action, especially since she knew it was taking everything he could muster to lift his fragile body up, she stared at him for a moment before pressing their lips together again over and over; driven wild with a desire that broke her anxiety while supporting him carefully to help relieve the stress on his body.

Continuing their passionate embrace for a few more moments, Carina eventually pulled her head to take a deep breath as Amaury panted in exhaustion. "Blood in head, remember?" Carina teased with a heavy blushed shared by both of them as she held her arms out for him to lay back down, which the boy gladly accepted and gently rested his head against her chest once more. "S-Sorry." He whispered as Carina wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head on the top of his. "Don't _ever_ apologize for something like that." She hummed as her heart continued to pound in her chest from the thoughts rushing through her mind, fighting back the desire to move past simply kissing; the boy's battered condition reminding her that it was not yet time regardless of the fact that she was sure he felt the same way. "Just… not right now. I don't think the hospital staff would appreciate that." The girl replied, bringing a small laugh from the boy's lips as he closed his eyes, beyond tired from his emotional return to the real world.

He had so many questions to ask her, but he was just too tired, even after sleeping for nine days straight. What happened to end the battle? Did anyone else die? How bad was the damage to the Jaeger? All of these questions needed answers, but instead of asking all he could do was yawn. "Sleep." Carina commanded as she ran a hand across his hair in a loving sign as he nodded. "Will y-you be here when I wake up?" The boy asked as Carina nodded, squeezing him carefully once more. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She replied as he smiled and rubbed against her once more. "Good." Amaury quietly replied once more before quickly falling asleep, safe and sound in Carina's arms.

With the immense weight that had crushed her for over a week lifted from her shoulders, Carina fell asleep not long after her Amaury, remaining with the boy in her arms the entire time. Over the past nine days she had only slept a few hours here and there, unable to maintain any form of comfort very long knowing Amaury's situation, leaving this period of time to feel like a gift from above. They slept until almost two in the afternoon, nearly seven hours, during which time several doctors and nurses came in to check on the two, only to leave them be upon seeing that both were doing just fine; regardless or not if Amaury had just woken up from the coma he had just spent the last nine days in.

However, nearing quarter after two, Tome came to check on Carina and see if she needed anything and upon opening the hospital room door covered her mouth; shocked to see that Amaury had snapped out of his long slumber. Without saying another word the girl slowly closed the door and darted off in a hurry to find Marcus.

Returning a short time later with Marcus who, charged with the news of Amaury's awakening, flung the room door open, failed to catch in time and caused it to slam into the wall, waking the two from their sleep. "Marcus, what the hell?!" Tome scolded as she entered behind him, gasping as the boy's heavy red eyes stared at the two of them in surprise. "Amaury!" Tome screamed, rushing to the opposite side of the bed before sliding to a stop on her knees above the sheets and throwing her arms around the two of them to force them into a hug; squishing the poor boy between them. "Easy Tome, I'm sure Amaury and Carina are both quite sore." Marcus stated as he laughed, walking to the foot of the bed with his arms crossed while Tome released the two from her grasp.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Dietrich." He called to his friend who smiled and slowly moved back to the center of the bed; his previous sleeping position a bit inappropriate given that there was now company in the room, though once he was done moving he sought out and found Carina's hand. "H-how is the w-war? Have t-they sent anyone a-after us yet?" The boy asked with his diminished voice, making Marcus laugh once more and shake his head. "Really? You just woke up and that's what you are worried about?" He asked as he sat down on the foot of the bed in the void space where Amaury's missing left leg segment would be.

"No, as of yet there is no sign of the enemy force. Krupp thinks it will be another week or two at the earliest before we receive any kind of retaliation, and by that time we will be ready to hammer them back from our gates." Marcus replied as the boy sighed in relief, knowing that this break was probably in the best interest of all of their men, both new and old. "How's the Jaeger?" Amaury asked next, knowing that if there was a battle pending he sure was going to be a part of it, regardless of his status at the time of its beginning, though Marcus had other thoughts on the matter.

"Fuckin' trashed." He replied with a single chuckle, shaking his head in amazement at just how stubborn the boy could be. Even without him saying so he knew Amaury was thinking about getting back in his machine to fly again despite having just come out of a weeks long coma. "But it doesn't matter, you ain't flying yet." Marcus replied as Amaury's eyes widened a bit more as a small scowl of disappointment came over him. He opened his mouth to speak in protest before Carina squeezed his hand and shook her head. "He's right Amaury, you need to rest. They can handle their own for the time being, especially now that it's not just us." His lover stated as Tome nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it's okay Amaury. With Douglas and Latty, not to mention the nearly thirty Movement and Federation pilots we have under our command now, we will be alright; even without Drex." Tome added as Amaury's attention shifted towards her, staring into her brown eyes for a moment before looking down at the bed she knelt on.

"Drex is dead?" He asked, recalling that while the man was quite the loud mouth, he was level headed and an excellent fighter on the battlefield. "Who else?" Amaury questioned next, looking to his friends before his eyes settled once more on Carina. "A lot. We lost a lot of people; good people. Drex was one of six pilots killed, four of which were Federation pilots and one Movement pilot on Achilles. The rest were crewman of the fleet." Carina replied as Amaury closed his eyes and sighed, recalling Cousland's last words about war. People were going to die, and that was the unchangeable truth.

"Don't get too discouraged though buddy, we killed a hell of a lot more of them than they did us. I mean shit, your kill count alone is astronomical, Green Demon." Marcus replied seeing Amaury's spirits dampen as Tome turned to the man and scowled. "Hey, I'm right behind him you know." She informed him as he again scoffed. "Um, yeah? But you didn't go into a rage and blow up a battleship, did you?" Marcus fired back as Carina giggled at their banter, even if the reminder of Amaury's grief-driven run brought back memories of his cries.

"To be fair, he didn't _blow up_ the battleship, he disabled it; and then we stole it." Tome added with a saddened look as she remembered the second part of that sentence, lingering on her tongue as she contemplated whether or not she should say it. "They, uh… they are going to name it after Sam when it's finished being repaired... since he was the first pilot to fall." She stated, deciding that it was important for all of them to know, bringing a smile to Carina's face. "Really? That… that is an excellent way to honor him." Carina replied with tears in her eyes as she saw Tome's own, reaching out to comfort her friend as Amaury focused on Tome's face; Sam's words to him in the afterlife echoing through his mind.

Sam wanted him to watch over her, and whether that was truly the boy's spirit or not he planned to do so. He would watch over all of them. "Are you alright?" Carina asked noticing his blank stare, bringing his eyes to turn back to her as she did so. "Yeah, I'm alright." Amaury replied as he leaned his head on Carina's shoulder while remaining laid back against the pillow, looking down at Marcus as he recalled what he had said. "Why d-did you call me Green Demon?" He questioned his friend who smirked. "Because that's what they are calling you. Well, technically it is 'The Green Demon of the Revolutionary Fleet', but that is a damn-long thing to say every time, so most people just say Green Demon." Marcus explained as Amaury stared at him for a moment before closing his eyes. "A demon, huh?" He asked in a whisper as his body did its best to call him back to sleep in an effort to ward off whatever infection was causing his body to run a fever.

"Not everybody knows the Amaury I know." Carina whispered as she kissed his forehead, feeling just how warm he was while Marcus grinned in an evil manner. "Well I mean, from what the nurses said you've been the one keeping him clean, head to toe. So, if anyone _knows_ Amaury, it would surely be you." Marcus replied with a booming laugh, bringing Carina's face to turn bright red as Tome gasped. "MARCUS!" They both yelled at the same time in embarrassment and disgust that he would turn something so tender into a joke, his laugher unending even after Tome punched his arm hard enough to knock him from the bed.

Hearing Marcus's words, Amaury opened his eyes a little and looked up at Carina, who nervously stared back down at him; his cheeks red with both fever and blush. She was the one who had kept him clean? All of him? She expected him to be distraught or upset with her for such an invasion of his personal privacy, but as he closed his eyes once more and nuzzled his face against her shoulder, she relaxed a bit. "I love you." He replied in a whisper as he fell back asleep, causing Carina to smile as he did so. "I love you too, my Amaury." She replied, turning back to Tome and Marcus as he sat back on the bed.

Waiting a minute or two to ensure he was asleep before returning to talking, Tome looked to the girl with an excited grin. "You told him, huh?" She asked as Carina nodded, her face remaining dark. "Y-Yeah. Well, he said it first, and of course I told him I loved him back. I can't lie to him anymore; not after knowing how he feels." Carina replied as Marcus looked at the sleeping boy with a smile, happy to have his friend back from the living grave. "He's a good man; I know he loves you. He hasn't taken his eye off of you since that very first day I introduced you two." Marcus stated as Tome looked at him in confusion.

"Introduced them? We all may not have known one another that day, but I was there; she introduced herself." Tome replied as Marcus rolled his eyes. "Introduced her, watched her introducer herself; it doesn't matter, I was still there." He boasted quietly to keep from waking Amaury as Tome sighed, causing Carina laughed. "Its okay Marcus, thank you. Thank the both of you, for everything. I haven't told Amaury yet about how you guys saved him, but I will." She thanked quietly as she gently brushed a loose hair from Amaury's face, not wanting it to irritate him and wake him up.

"Has the Admiral talked any more about what we are going to do? I keep meaning to go see him, but with Amaury still unconscious I couldn't bring myself to leave him." Carina questioned as she turned back to her friends to see Tome nod while she adjusted herself to sit on the bed. "Yeah, he still plans to relocate the nine colonies outside of the Earth's Sphere to establish the New Republic away from the Federation's grasp. According to him they have located just the right place; a massive abandoned asteroid mining base named Hagen. I guess it dates to back when the colonies were first being constructed and they set out looking for resources. I've heard my dad talk about it from his time as an explorer. It's been sitting empty, well for the most part, for about sixty years." Tome replied as Marcus stared outside at the mid-day simulated sunlight, rubbing his healing arm in the process as the bandages beneath his suit made him itch terribly. "As much as I hate to fall back on the old Zeon stereotype of hiding in an asteroid, I think this is the best bet we have. We can stay out of their way, they can stay out of ours." Marcus responded to Tome's explanation as Carina listened.

"What does he plan to do with the colonies?" She asked, bringing her friend to answer once more. "Well, I guess they will be able to remain floating without disruption while Hagen is restored and constructed into a habitable location. After that point, who knows. Maybe he will deconstruct the colonies and use them to really turn Hagen into a massive city." Tome replied as Carina sat in thought for a few moments. It was ambitious, but it could work. While this Hagen was likely not in any known Lagrangian point, it was possible that it was in a location where influencing gravity did not play a major part in its existence, and if that were in fact the case it would make a prime location to construct and asteroid-based city; especially if it was that far away from Earth.

If this was indeed the plan, that would mean she would have a lot of work to do with the rest of the New Republic's engineering division and she would be lying if she didn't admit that she was excited. "Oh!" Carina called out, covering her mouth when she realized she had said it rather loudly, not wanting to wake Amaury up. Thinking of designs reminded her that she had something to show Tome. Reaching to the small nightstand next to Amaury's bed, Carina grabbed her tablet and turned it on. "I want to show you something." She hummed as she flipped through her documents and located what she had been working on for the past few days while waiting for him to wake up.

Handing the tablet to the girl, Tome's eyes lit up at what was in front of her; plans for a high mobility version of the Zakum, nicknamed the 'Tome Special' for the moment. "Carina, this looks amazing." She said with a smile as she flipped through the still rough but highly informational sketches she had drawn, seeing that it was quite the improvement over the Zakum's base model. "It won't be faster than the Jaeger, but it certainly will be on par. I started the design back on Heaven's End after looking at your flight data as well as Amaury's, but with everything that's happened it fell by the wayside. By replacing the standard legs with those constructed using parts from commercial high-speed transport shuttles, I think we can make a fighter that will keep the Federation on their toes and hesitant to come back for more." Carina replied the same big smile talking about her work always brought her, despite claims that she was geek.

"Fuck yeah it will!" Tome exclaimed in a whispering tone as Marcus looked on at the tablet and huffed. "When am I going to get something special, huh?" He asked in a joking tone as the two looked at him, then at each other. "Be patient!" She instructed playfully as Tome pushed him from the edge of the bed, landing on his behind as he again sighed. Amaury had better get back to normal faster; being outnumbered was getting old.


	26. Chapter 26: Recovery

Hearing the sound of a small bird singing outside of their window, Carina's eyes opened and immediately focused to the boy she slept in bed next to; her arm still lovingly placed on his chest, intertwined in his fingers while the other lay under her head like a pillow. Seeing him softly breathing in and out she smiled, knowing now that yesterday was not a dream and that he really was with her once again. It was just a bit after sunrise in the colony meaning that he had slept for close to fifteen hours; rest that he needed if he was going to heal as quickly and efficiently as possible, especially if he really was in that much of a rush to get back into the fight. It was evident by his fighting spirit and instincts that he was born for this lifestyle and that it was likely passed down from both his mother and his father, so she could understand why he was anxious to return to his machine. More than that however she knew that he was not in this fight simply for the thrill. He was fighting for what he believed in, for the people of the colonies and what she knew he believed was most important; her.

Knowing that he would do absolutely anything to keep her safe played back to their little conversations and meetings before they departed on this whole adventure. He promised to not let anything happen to her, and her belief in that promise brought her much needed comfort and strength in knowing that no matter what he would be there for her, even if at first it was as a friend.

"Good morning." She whispered as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently, as she snuggled back into a cozy position for a few more minutes of warmth and safety. It really was a good morning. Not only was Amaury back in her arms where he belonged, she had also slept better then she had in her entire time as part of the Movement, and she had no doubt that it was because she lay next to the man that she loved with all of her heart. A man that was hungry, given the low growl she heard come from his stomach.

Laughing quietly under her breath she knew it had been ten days since his last true meal and had been fed nothing but liquid nutrients since that day. Having felt weak and feverish the day before he still had yet to eat, despite having gone close to twenty four hours without even receiving the liquid nutrients that had once been vital to his survival. He needed to eat if he was going to get better and since she refused to eat without him she too was hungry, giving her an excellent idea.

Kissing his cheek once more, she slowly uncovered herself and stood from the bed, making sure to tuck the boy in as she did so. "I'll be right back." She whispered as she slid her slippers and his jacket on, zipping the front to conceal her somewhat revealing clothing before heading out into the hospital in search of something fresh for the two of them to enjoy. She wouldn't be gone too long and hopefully he would still be sleeping when she got back as to both keep him from worrying as well as to maintain the complete surprise.

Making her way through the hospital hallways, she followed the signs towards the hospitals atrium where she knew there was a kitchen of at least modest size. Being early in the morning the atrium was mostly empty save for a few employees enjoying their own breakfast and coffee, much to her relief as she has yet to shower and her hair was a wreck. Spotting a grilling station where a line cook was cooking what smelled like breakfast, she quickly approached and looked through the glass at the grill top where fresh eggs and bacon sizzled, causing her to subconsciously lick her lips.

"Hungry?" The cook asked with a grin as she looked up to the older gentleman with a nod. "Yes sir. My boyfriend and I are starving." She replied, the words tingling pleasantly on the tip of her tongue. It had been years since she was able to freely admit that she had a boyfriend, since her last was a boy she dated throughout high school before separating to go to different colleges. Monty never really allowed her himself to carry that title; which was good because it would have been ruined by his betrayal. "Well you came to the right place at the right time. It typically doesn't start getting busy till about eight or so when the majority of the staff report for work. That means, little lady, that what I've got is fresh and delicious." The chef replied with a small laugh as Carina grinned.

"Perfect! Can I get, uh…" She began, looking down at the choice displayed on a daily menu taped to the glass. "Oh! Can I get two orders of two over easy eggs, some bacon and toast?" She questioned as the cook nodded. "You sure can. Going classic; I like it. Give it a few minutes and it will be right up." He instructed as the clerk at the counter next to him waved to the girl and motioned for her to come closer. "I'll help you right down here." She instructed as Carina nodded to the cook and walked to the next counter as the young girl on the other side typed the cost of their meal into a cash register, causing Carina to grimace as she stuck her hands in her pants pockets and then Amaury's jacket. "Crap, I… I forgot my wallet in the room!" The girl complained as the Clerk shook her head and reset the cash register to clear the total. "Don't worry about it, it's on us." She said as the girl looked to her and blinked.

"No, I have money, I will pay for it, it's okay." She objected as the cook looked over at the girl through the glass. "You are part of the Movement right?" He asked as Carina turned to look at him with a nod; the public knowledge of the Movement still an odd feeling. "I thought you were the one who's been lingering close to that injured boy in room two-ten. Your meals are on us. You people are heroes and risked everything for the rest of us. The least we can do is let you eat for free." The cook replied with a nod as clerk did the same, making Carina smile.

It seemed that many more people believed in the New Republic than she first imagined when she joined the Movement, and knowing that everything they had done and fought through was not in vain was another great weight lifted from her shoulders.

"Thank you. It means a lot; both the meal and your support. We didn't do it to be heroes." Carina replied, watching as the chef cracked four eggs onto the griddle and rearranged the bacon so that it would cook more evenly; the sizzle filling the air with a wonderful aroma. "Of course not. But that's what you've become and that is in fact something to be proud of." He added as the girl looked down and smiled, waiting patiently for their food to be done so that she could return back to her own starving hero.

Returning back to Amaury's room carrying a dinner tray with the two covered meals as well as something to drink, she was delighted to see that he still slept and was none the wiser to her little mission. Setting the tray on small table next to the bed she crawled back into bed next to him, running a hand through his hair softly as she did so. "Hey, Amaury." She called to him in a gentle whisper although the reluctant boy didn't budge. He really was tired, wasn't he? With a smile she leaned forward and cupped his face in her hands as she pressed her lips to his, waking him with a kiss as his eyes slowly opened and winced at the bright light of the morning sun piercing through the window.

"Wake up, sleepy." She giggled as his eyes came back into focus on his love's smile, her face illuminated brightly in contrast to her long dark hair by the window light. "Hey." The boy replied as he sat himself up a bit, careful not to twist or stretch any way that would cause him pain, as difficult as that task may be. "Is everything alright?" He asked while rubbing his bloodshot eyes, catching his first whiff of the pleasant smell that originated from the diner tray next to them. "Mhmm." Carina hummed in reply, braiding her hair into a loose braid so that it wouldn't get in the way while they ate.

"I got us something to eat. I know you weren't really hungry yesterday, but I would feel much better if you at least ate something. I don't want to watch you become sick from malnourishment." She replied with a small half-smile as Amaury watched her fingers move delicately through her hair, forming the long braid he had become so accustomed to. She was right; he hadn't felt up to eating the day before and although he felt a tiny bit better now he still didn't have an overwhelming desire to eat, despite his growling stomach.

However, he knew that he probably should and that if he didn't eat then neither would she, and he didn't want to see her go without a meal again. "Alright, I will try." He replied despite his persistent fever, bringing the full smile back to his lover as she brought the tray over from the table just as he spread his legs and patted the area between them for her to sit. Blushing, she carefully did as he asked, sitting down and crossing her legs to set the tray on her lap.

"I hope you like bacon and eggs!" She said excitedly as she uncovered their food and set the lids aside, watching his eyes and smile widen. "I do. I haven't had them in a long, long time." He replied, remembering how this was a common Saturday morning breakfast when he was small as his mother only typically had time to cook breakfast on the weekend. "Good, I made the right decision then." She replied as she handed him a set of silverware to eat with, and began to cut up her own food as Amaury did the same with less efficiency because of his left forearm.

"If you like eggs and bacon, you'll love this breakfast tart my mother taught me how to cook. I'll have to make it for you when we get out of here." She said with a smile as she too remembered her mother, recalling how they use to cook together regularly while her father sat at the kitchen table and worked on various things; his thick Australian accent and the childish banter of her breaking up their singing from time to time with cheeky comments or attempts to break into song with them.

The thought also brought with it a sad realization; with the New Republic's departure from the Earth's Sphere to begin soon, it was highly unlikely she would ever see them again. She knew when she signed up for the Movement that there was always a chance that would happen, but deep down she hoped it would have never come true. It would have been nice to at least say goodbye; to tell them how much she loved them and hoped for great things for her siblings' future, since she would never see them grow up.

In an effort to snap out of her thoughts she took her first bite of food as she looked over to Amaury, watching him struggle to cut up his food. Setting her knife and fork down without a second thought, she gently took his utensils from his hands and began to cut it for him, smiling up to him as she did so. "Is cooking something that couples usually do together?" He asked in curiosity, watching as she divided his eggs into equal pieces before stopping and looking up to him at his question. "I mean some do, but usually it is one person; typically the head woman of the household if you follow longstanding tradition in my family." She replied as she looked back down at his plate, nearly finished with her task. "Do you think we could cook together?" He asked despite knowing nothing about cooking unless it involved heating up a can of beans or canned ham over a fire.

Again she looked up at him, this time with more intrigue as to why he was asking such a question. Was this his way of saying he wanted to do things together? Why else would he ask? With a smile she picked up a quarter strip of bacon and a piece of egg with the fork in her hands as her eyes drifted up to him. "Is that something you would want to do, Amaury?" She questioned in reply as he looked down to his plate, seeing the food she had placed onto his fork for him. "Yes. I mean... I don't know how, but if you are going to be cooking I want to be right there with you helping. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it." He replied with an embarrassed smile as her own face lit up at his adorable and loving gesture, holding out the forkful of food for him to take with his mouth.

"We can cook together whenever you want. I will teach you." She replied as he took the bite, kissing his forehead while he was close and the opportunity presented itself, causing him to blink from the unexpected surprise. "How is it?" She asked, handing him his fork back while using her own to take in a bit more of her own food. Chewing slowly as he looked back up to her he nodded before swallowing in order to answer. "Amazing." He replied as they both laughed and continued to eat their food.

Over the course of their meal Carina began to explain to him what exactly had been going on while he was unconscious; about how the remainder of the battle had played out, how Tome, Marcus and Douglas rescued him, the state of their forces, the public reception to their victory and most importantly Krupp's plan to move the colonies out of Side 3 to their new home at the mining asteroid Hagen, well outside of the Earth's Sphere.

At first the boy was confused, unaware that the nuclear-pulse engines aboard the colonies were capable of producing enough thrust to carry them anywhere other than where they were built. He had always just assumed that they were intended purely to keep a colony from falling out of orbit and avoid collision with large objects should the need arise, but as Carina explained otherwise he felt silly for such assumptions. The plan seemed relatively solid and made sense; the Federation would be less prone to attempt a war with a non-aggressive nation fleeing from their tyranny, though he had no doubt that by now the Earth's leaders were meeting to discuss what the survivors had surely called a fourth Neo-Zeon uprising, bringing back scars and fears from long ago. Regardless, he would do whatever needed to be done until they were all safe and until Carina and his dreams were free to come true.

The news that did bring somewhat of a shock to him however was that both Geoff and Elise had been placed under arrest pending an investigation into their involvement with the now hunted traitor Edwin 'Monty' McNeil. Geoff had been a personal friend of Monty's for years and was recruited directly into the Movement without review under his recommendation leaving questions about his loyalty, while Elise's own motives remained a secret that she refused to reveal to anyone; despite the fact that Admiral Krupp was the reason she was there.

"This is not right." Amaury argued as he neared half way through his meal, pacing himself to avoid becoming sick to his gentle stomach that had become used to a liquid diet. "They… they gave their own blood, sweat and tears for us. Can't Admiral Krupp see that?" He asked angrily as Carina sighed and shook her head, knowing that she had the same reaction when the news of their arrest first reached her own ears. "I know, just please calm down. Please." She said with a frown, taking his hand in his to calm him before he suffered another bleed in his healing brain. "It's just a precaution because of what Monty did, that's all. Don't worry, I'm sure they will find them innocent any day now and release them. The investigation is probably taking a bit longer because of all the work that needs to be done before we set off for Hagen."

Turning his head back towards her as she took his hand and told him that it would be alright, he sighed and nodded. She was right; they would soon be found innocent and it would all blow over, or so she hoped. With Monty gone Geoff was the bond holding their ragtag group together, and if they were forced to change leadership once more in such a short period of time, it would likely lead to quite the internal power struggle.

"I sure hope so. We will need Geoff for this incase the Federation tries to stop us from leaving." He replied, taking another bite of his food as he looked up to see that she was done with hers. "Sorry I'm taking so long." Amaury stated as he lifted his eyes up to hers to explain why but paused, seeing tears forming in her eyes. "Carina?" He questioned softly as she turned her vision back to him from the window, where it had focused a few moments prior at his mention of leaving the Earth's Sphere.

Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of his jacket; the result of once again thinking back to her mother, father and three brothers on Earth. "I'm sorry. Take your time eating." She answered with a small smile, knowing very well that he was not going to continue to eat while she sat and silently cried, despite her wish that he would. "What's wrong?" He asked, reaching to her hands as he set the plate down on the tray. Something had to be wrong, she wasn't crying just because he was taking forever to finish breakfast.

"I'm alright, it's just... the thought that I may never see my family again hurts. I don't mean to seem like a big baby, especially to you, and... I've… I've shed these tears plenty when I first heard of Krupp's plan. It should be out of my system by now." The girl replied as Amaury's heart began to hurt as, remembering back to when he came to the realization that he would never see his mother again either; drowned by the feeling of being trapped with no way to escape. That was how she must feel with, especially with no way of contacting them to ask them to come with her or even say goodbye. The Federal civilians being allowed to leave the NRZ colonies were allowed to do so with the intention of not returning, so that would not help either, although much to his dismay, there was one hope that she would for sure see them again.

"You… could stay, Carina." Amaury said softly as her eyes widened in question. "W-What?" She asked as Amaury's eyes lowered to the food tray on her lap. "You could stay here. When the fleet has moved on and the Federation returns to Side 3 just… just tell them you were a tourist and you need to return back to Earth. That way you can be with your parents and your brothers. I won't b-break your family like mine was." Amaury explained, his words quiet but full of intent, no matter how much it burned at his soul to speak them. He couldn't live without her, but at the same time he couldn't live with the thought of her being separated from her family because of him, making her resent and hate him for it.

"I-I can't stay. They will be looking for anyone who killed their men, a-and I've slain too many to ever return. My name is now known throughout the colonies… ironic for someone who grew up in the gutter." He jested with a single small chuckle as he felt the fate of his dreams hang in the balance. "If they see me with you, they will assume y-you killed too. I can't let that happen. Just know… that even if you c-choose to leave, I will always love you my Carina, and that there will never be anyone else to replace you in our dream."

Hearing his words and seeing his gloomy face caused the trace amounts of leftover tears to flow down her cheeks. "Stop." She instructed before he could say anymore, moving the tray to their side in the process. At first she was upset with him, angered that he would be so easily willing to allow her to walk away, but upon hearing his reasoning she hated herself for ever thinking he could ever. Just like everything else he had done since that night in the bar, it was all to protect her.

Once again fighting back a sob, she took a deep breath. "My father always told me that I should follow my dreams, no matter where they take me; even if it meant going to the most distant star. That's how he got my mother, he claimed." She replied with a small laugh, bringing a small smile to Amaury's lips despite the tears dwelling in his eyes. "When I told you yesterday that my heart desires your dream of our future, I meant it. Y-Your dream is now mine, and if I stay and give up that dream I could never live with myself. I love you too much to know that I hurt you by letting you go on to that new world without me." She replied as she lifted Amaury's chin up to stare into his brown eyes; sliding herself closer towards him so that she would have been sitting his lap would his legs not have been spread.

"I'm not going anywhere without you. We are going to make it Hagen, build a city and a world we can call home, and we are going to make that dream come true." Carina stated her decision before sealing it with a long, passionate kiss as she held his face with her hands; the boy's own finding their way to her lower back and locking together to hold her close as she did so. She had made her choice, and she knew that whether her parents approved of this decision, it didn't matter. She was following her heart.

Breaking the kiss she smiled, wiping away both of their tears in the process. "You are stuck with me, Amaury Dietrich. Like it or not." She added as he laughed, placing his forehead to hers. "How c-could I not like it? I love you, you know." He replied as she giggled and reached down to his fork, food still between the silver spokes from when he set it down. "Good. Now finish your breakfast!" She commanded as he laughed and took the bite into house mouth with a smile, his eyes once again locked into those captivating green orbs of hers.

By the end of the next day Amaury was both sitting up and able to stand on his own with some of his strength returning, although it was slow to do so in his opinion. "Are you okay?" Carina asked as Amaury continued to stand still with his new prosthetic limb attached to the mount, having just fallen to his good knee a few moments prior. "Y-Yeah, I'm alright. I… I think I'm getting the hang of it." He replied as she smiled, happy he was evolving to move past his injury, though she wished it never would have happened to begin with. "Alright, see if you can walk to me." She instructed as if he was a newborn learning to walk for the first time towards its mother. "Take your time." Taking a deep breath, the boy began to walk the maybe twenty feet between them, pacing himself to catch an understanding of the process.

It was different than walking with his real leg as his new foot did not flex like a natural one, requiring him to learn how to pivot on the ball of his artificial heel and rock the foot to mimic natural movement. He had always heard that people who lost limbs had a hard time with depth perception since they could not feel the artificial extension of their body, but for him it didn't seem too hard. Taking a few steps forward was the hardest, but as he continued he was doing better and made it almost all the way to his blushing prize before stumbling slightly as a sharp pain shot through his leg causing him to lose his balance.

"Amaury!" She gasped as she quickly stepped forward to support him, keeping him from falling as his hands found their way to her hips. "I-I'm alright, it just hurt for a moment. I'm alright." He replied with a smile as Carina sighed in relief, glad she caught him before he fell this time. " You did really good, but let's get you back in bed. You've done enough for today and you don't want to overdo it. Since, you know, you seem so prone to do that." She teased as Amaury shook his head, looking to her as she helped him walk to the bed.

"I'll be alright, really. The only way I'm going to learn is to keep… going." He stated, pausing as he sat down on the edge of the bed and twisted the wrong way, causing his side to ache tremendously. "Are Tome and Marcus still coming tonight?" He asked as he rubbed his healing ribs, feeling the staples in his skin through his grey t-shirt. They had come to visit them every night that they had been in the hospital, so he had assumed that today would be no different.

"Yeah, they should be here soon." She replied, using her phone to text Tome and see where she was at. They were supposed to have been there by now and it was unlike Tome to be late as she usually was the one keeping Marcus punctual. "Why do you ask?" She questioned as the boy looked up to her and followed her with his eyes as she sat beside him, taking her hand in his with a smile. "I think we should go see Geoff and Elise." The boy replied causing his lover to look to him with some worry. He had just taken his first steps in nearly two weeks, was it smart for him to push himself?

"I'd like to see them too, but are you sure you are ready for that? Tome has one of the cars we acquired, but it still will involve you walking a bit." She questioned just to make sure to which Amaury nodded in reply, feeling up to the challenge. "I will be okay. But you'll help me if I need it, right?" He replied, forcing Carina to smile and turn red as she shook her head. "Of course I will, my Amaury." She hummed, kissing his lips and resting her forehead to his as they waited for their friends to show up.

"So how's it feel to be back on your feet? Well, foot and piece of metal, same thing." Marcus questioned as he drove their vehicle down the busy streets towards the Dresden Police Department Headquarters; a large compound in the center of the city surrounding a fifteen story main tower which since the Liberation of Side 3 had served not only as the Dresden colony command post but also as the New Republic's military administration point. "It feels good. I was getting tired of being a burden." He replied with the smallest grin as he looked out at those walking in the street in the setting sun, some of which waved and cheered as they took notice to the former police armored car now painted NRZ Grey with their flag draped over the hood, taking Amaury by surprise. Carina said that the majority of those living in the colonies supported the Movement and their cause, but seeing it in full effect really drove the message home.

"Amaury, you are not a burden! Stop it!" Carina scolded as she squeezed his hand while Tome, who rode in the front seat next to Marcus, turned around to scowl. "Yeah man, shut up! If you were such a burden me, Marcus and Douglas wouldn't have saved your ass." She playfully dictated while waving her finger at Amaury as Marcus turned at looked at the two women and then to Amaury before returning his eyes to the road. "Relax; I'm sure he was just kidding. Right Amaury?" The man asked as Amaury looked at the back of his seat and nodded, despite the fact that he wasn't joking. Even though he was enjoying Carina's care and savored each second with her, he knew that in his condition that he was a hassle to watch over and that she spent every second worrying about his progress.

Looking over to the woman who had taken such good care of him he brought himself to smile as he mouthed an expression of love for her which she didn't hesitate to return upon seeing his lips move. "You know, even in silence I know what they are doing back there." Marcus said while looking over at Tome as she stared at the approaching destination; the walls of the almost fortress-like compound breached and reduced to rubble by a fallen Jegan from the battle that engulfed Dresden's streets two weeks prior, awaiting reclamation for spare parts.

"Leave them be." She replied while pulling one knee up to her chest, her vision drifting down to the dashboard in front of her as she thought about Sam and how badly she missed him. She had no doubt that they too would have eventually been holding hands and telling one another that they loved each other if he would have still been alive; the mere thought of which brought silent tears to her eyes which she quickly wiped away before the others could see.

Despite the fact that Tome's watery eyes were hidden from view Carina found herself shifting her attention from her love to her best friend as something inside her mind drew her towards the girl. "Tome, are you alright?" Carina asked as she felt this slight feeling of sadness radiate from her; a feeling that she could not describe or rationalize past the fact that she felt it occur. Hearing her question both Marcus and Amaury turned to Tome as the boy's ears began to ring lowly, though it focused his attention to his lover and not their friend.

"What? Yeah, I'm alright." Tome lied, surprised that Carina could see her tears when she was almost certain that she had disguised them well enough to avoid their detection. "Oh I just… I don't know. I just… felt like you were sad, if that makes sense." Carina replied, placing a hand on her shoulder as Tome turned to look at her, and then to Amaury who continued his stare at the realization that this was the same feeling he felt once before when he could sense her existence as a Newtype. Was she able to sense Tome's feelings? Could Newtypes do that?

"Did you sense her feelings?" He asked, bringing Carina's attention back onto him. "Yeah, how… how did you know that?" She asked as the boy looked down at his artificial lower leg tucked into the green uniform pants he had only been brought this morning in an attempt to show a unified New Republic military. "I could sense you when you said you felt her feelings. I think that… maybe we can only sense one another if we are actually using our powers… or something like that." The boy replied as Carina's head tilted a bit.

While that may make sense to him, she still didn't understand; especially since she still could not sense anyone. "But if that's true and you are technically using your powers all the time, why can't I sense you? I mean… sometimes I feel like I can feel when you are sad or happy but I can't explain why I feel it, and I've never been able to 'sense' when you are near." Carina replied as she now began to think that maybe her Newtype abilities were defective while the boy shook his head.

"Elise said that all of us are different. Maybe you can't sense people. I'm not sure." He stated as they pulled into the compound's entrance checkpoint, brining Marcus to roll down the window and check in with the guard, who upon realizing who they were immediately stopped and saluted the four. "Well we are here now, you can ask her yourself." Marcus said with a grin as he parked the vehicle as close to the front of the building as possible and got out, opening the door for Amaury as he did so.

Thanking him, Amaury slowly slid out of the vehicle onto his feet as he used the metal grab bar on the side of the machine to slow his descent to the ground and steady himself. "You alright?" Marcus asked, watching him stand still for a moment as the boy shifted his eyes to Carina and Tome as they came around the back of their vehicle. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied as his other half stared at him in worry, knowing that he was in pain regardless of if he showed it or not. "Good, let's go then. Keep up, gimpy!" Marcus boomed with a laugh as he began to lead the group into their command center, walking up the first set of steps into the courtyard followed by a long walk down the first hallway of the main tower.

Trying his best to keep pace with the others Amaury ground his teeth, hiding the grinding pain that shot into his bone with each step. Eventually this feeling would subside, but since the metal mount that was permanently installed into his bones was still somewhat fresh he could swear it was splitting them in half, and his pained facial expressions made it clear to Carina that he was in pain. As they progressed further into the HQ, they were forced to descend down a series of seven steps to a sub-level of the facility that housed prisoners of importance and that had been the home to their wingmen for the past week.

Taking a deep breath, Amaury began to slowly descend down the steps as he gripped the railing to the side tightly, wincing progressively more as each one passed until coming to a panting stop three steps from the bottom. Was this really as far as he was able to go? They were so close that he could see the doors at the end of the hallway where Tome and Marcus now stood waiting. No, he would keep going; pain or no pain. About to continue forward he was surprised when Carina forced herself under his left arm, wrapping her right arm around his back while her left held onto his. "It's okay." She whispered with a smile as she gently guided his injured leg down, stepping in unison with the boy as he too expressed a small grin, thankful for her help and caring worry as they finished the stairs and slowly made their way to the door at the end of the hall.

Looking up from his seat at the edge of his bed as the door to the enclosed area around them opened, Geoff grinned. "Marcus, Tome." He stated with a slight chuckle, shaking his head in the process. "Any luck with that coffee?" He asked as Marcus returned the laugh and in turn shook his own head. "Nah, that is kind of on short supply right now. I did bring you something else though. Something I think you will appreciate." He replied as Geoff grinned and stood to his feet, looking over to a rather unamused Elise standing in the corner with her eyes locked to Tome. She could sense the approaching group, including Amaury, who she was unaware had been up and moving.

"Whiskey?" Their leader joked once more, trying to remain in high spirits despite the fact that both he and Elise had spent the last week locked in these cells under intense scrutiny. But as Carina walked through the door helping Amaury to walk, Geoff's smirk disappeared into a small grin. "Well this is a surprise. How are you two doing? I'm sorry I haven't come to see you guys, I've asked several times but at the moment there is too much to do to worry about a day trip for prisoners." He admitted as his vision shifted to Amaury, then to his leg as the boy moved closer towards them in between the two cells; Elise focusing on Carina as she help him stand, making it evident that he was pushing himself to come and see them.

"Don't apologize, we understand. We are both doing better, thank you for asking." Carina replied with a feigned smile, disheartened at seeing their two friends in chains as Geoff again looked at Amaury's false leg before returning his vision to his face. "You look much better than when I first saw you after the battle, though you still look sick." Geoff replied, noticing the boy's flushed appearance almost immediately. "Doctor Emerson said my body is fighting the SICOS, but that I would be alright in time." Amaury answered, still feeling the fever as Elise's gaze was drawn back to him. "SICOS?" She asked, walking towards the cell door with crossed arms. She had heard talk from their guards that his injuries had been extensive both inside and out, but she was unaware that Emerson had implanted the device into the boy's mind.

"That crackpot put that malicious machine in your head? You allowed that?" She asked despite knowing that both he and Carina were unconscious for a period of time following the battle as Amaury shook his head. He knew that Carina already felt horrible about not being there to speak against the SICOS on his behalf and hearing about how it was a bad choice was something she didn't need. "He had no choice." The boy replied as he looked to Carina with a smile and a little nod to show that he would be alright to stand on his own while removing his arm from her shoulder; his hand finding hers to chase any guilt away.

"Emerson said it was between this and never flying again, and this war is far from over. I'm not going to let all of you fight alone. He made the right decision." Amaury continued under Elise's scrutiny while Geoff grinned, glad to hear that one of his best pilots was still in the fight. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from you. I'm sure that if the decision would have been yours you would have made the same choice." Geoff spoke in return as Carina's eyes looked down to the floor. Would he have chosen this? He knew how much she disliked the idea of placing that thing in his head leaving her to believe he would have refused, but with his drive to keep both her and their friends safe, could he have lived with himself on the sidelines?

With a huff Elise looked away, annoyed that his pure Newtype abilities had been tainted by a machine. His bloodline would remain unchanged, but now she could no longer assess his strength based on his abilities alone should he choose to use the system; a decision that she was certain he would make in favor of the system due to his leg.

"Is there any word yet?" Tome questioned, breaking up the slight silence that fell over the group as Geoff sighed. "No, not yet. Krupp is supposed to have some kind of news for us tomorrow." He responded, looking back towards Amaury and Carina as they stood hand in hand in before him. From what he had been told it was very likely that without Monty's betrayal none of the events that lead to their injuries would have occurred, making him feel guilty for his formerly close nature to him.

"I swear that I had no idea what Monty was planning and if I had I would have tried to stop him myself. When he approached me months ago about this task, he seemed so dedicated to the freedom we all fight for that I could have never suspected this was his end-game. I've known him for nearly a decade and not once was anything like this brought up. I'm at a loss, and until they find me innocent I will continue to be so. Just, please understand that I had nothing to do with this, and I am sorry that the both of you were hurt because of this… bullshit." Geoff confessed, becoming angered near the end at the thought of being played for a fool as Elise watched on in silence.

She knew he was telling the truth not from his words or any action of his own, but by the way Monty had carried himself since the very beginning; his seclusion, his disregard for the lives and his low-key manipulation of the men and women under his command. He was hiding something the whole time that even she could not discover through his lies. "I know, Geoff. Neither of us believe you or Elise did anything wrong." Carina replied as she turned towards the imprisoned woman that stared at her once again. "I will talk to Krupp and see what I can do to get you two out of here. There has to be something." Amaury responded as Marcus chuckled once in disgust.

"I've tried as well. Krupp insists that the investigation has to be conducted right because of the severity of the issue." He added as Geoff shook his head in agreement with him. "Marcus is right, just let it play its course. I've got nothing to hide, and with another battle sure to occur here soon, he's going to need both of us out there. He will come around." Their leader replied, leaving Elise to huff, her arms still crossed in discontent as the group turned to look at her.

"My objective here is done and your war is just that; yours." Elise replied with her piercing stare towards the group of pilots. She had only been requested to assist with the revolution, and now that it had been completed, she had no intention in becoming involved in an open conflict against Federation; at least not yet. That which was to come was still quite a distance away with much preparation to be done still, and to remain in line with her father's orders she was to keep from dragging their home into this war at all costs.

Her only true regret was that she could not have slain her opponent before her departure, knowing now that Tegan had evolved to be a worthy opponent. "You are just to leave us? Like he did?" Tome asked in annoyance as Carina stared at the woman, her face displaying obvious concern and hurt at her desire to leave. Without her help, how would they fair against a well-organized and much larger Federal force? "Monty abandoned you for his own selfish goals. My objective here has been fulfilled and as such I am to return home. There is a difference." Elise explained in an annoyed tone, displeased with being compared to that man. Did they really expect her to be around to hold their hands forever?

Sure, she had taken a frontline role in the liberation effort, though it was out of necessity not free will. Without someone to challenge Tegan the entire revolution would have been in jeopardy and many more of them would have died; a result that she did not wish to see despite her best attempts to remain separated from this group, physically and emotionally. "Isn't there any way you can stay until we at least get to Hagen?" Carina asked as Amaury looked on before shifting his eyes to observe the others in the room, who all shared the same expression of disappointment except for himself. He understood that she was brought here for a reason and that if that reason was now complete why should wish to return from where she came from, wherever that may be. He couldn't deny however that her presence had been a great help between her skills in combat and her explanation of his gifts and Newtypes.

"No." Elise replied sternly while shaking her head, recalling the damage dealt to the Glint; damage that as much as she hated to admit would prevent her from returning without repair. "I can only remain here until the damage to the Scarlet Glint is repaired. Repairs I am entrusting in you, Carina." She added as the girl now shook her own head. She had been receiving updates from the engineers who were repairing their fleet, who stated that while not permitted to touch the Glint it was easy to see it had suffered extensive cockpit damage and had completely lost its head unit. The cockpit could easily be fixed with only nominal effort, however without a functional or even partially intact sensor unit it would be pointless to even waste precious resources to repair the machine.

"I am honored that you want me to oversee the repairs, but with the damaged that has been reportedly dealt, I don't know much I can do." Carina replied, bringing Elise to stare out her without a word for a brief moment or so before replying. "I am aware. And that is why I am allowing you, and only you, to modify the Glint using what spare parts I have brought with me." She replied as Carina's eyes widened. She was going to let her modify her mobile suit? When the Glint first arrived in their care, she was given strict orders not to touch the machine. Did she really trust her enough to not only repair the Glint, but to produce changes for it?

"R-Really?" Carina asked a bit embarrassed to be put under such spotlight, squeezing Amaury's hand subconsciously as the blue-eyed woman nodded. "Yes. With what I have seen, I believe I can trust you. Don't let me down." She instructed once more as Carina looked towards the others before focusing on Amaury; his big brown eyes staring into hers with the most subtle of nods, instilling her with a reinforced faith in herself. If they believed in her then she should to.

"Alright. But under one condition." Carina replied as she redirected her attention back to Elise once more who shifted her head to the side a bit in question. "What would that be?" Elise asked as Carina swallowed nervously, unsure whether or not she would be scolded for what she was about to ask though she gathered her breath and displayed as much confidence as possible. "You have to explain everything; why you were sent here, who you work for and just exactly where you call home."

Narrowing her vision on the girl before her, Elise herself took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew ever since Monty's betrayal that there would be no chance for her origin to remain a secret and that it was just a matter of time before she would be forced to explain, though she never would have guessed Carina would be the one who demanded these answer from her, and she didn't blame her in the least bit. "Fine." She replied as she exhaled a deep sigh a cast her gaze back to the group of pilots.

"When the One Year War ended, the Principality of Zeon became fragmented and was cast across the void. Some accepted defeat and formed the Republic of Zeon, remaining at Side 3 while others simply went into hiding on Earth or out into deep space. The majority of those loyal to the ideals of Zeon Deikun fled to the asteroid base Axis, forming their own Neo-Zeon element there." The woman began to explain, focusing on Amaury as she knew that this was where his parents came from and where he was likely conceived, making him a true child of Axis. "But there were those who instead chose to flee to Mars; my home. I was born and raised a Martian and my father is in fact the legendary Zeon ace Johnny Ridden, who now commands the Mars Zeon Independence Army in defense of our world." She added, watching the surprised faces of the group before her light up. Anyone living on Mars was unheard of in the Earth's Sphere and with the exception of the Jupiter Energy their existence remained unnoticed, so she understood why they would seem confused and shocked.

"Mars is so far away from here… it doesn't explain how you found the Movement, let alone why you are helping us." Tome replied to the woman's story, poking at the holes as Elise's eyes turned to the impatient girl. "The Jupiter Energy Fleet frequently stops at Mars on their voyages back and forth between Earth and Jupiter to deliver our own purchased quantities of crucial elements required for fusion reactors, without which life on Mars would not be possible. On one such stop word was relayed to us of the events taking place across the Earth's Sphere, including the Dresden Massacre and the existence of the Movement. An emissary was sent to find the Movement's leaders and a deal was struck in the best interest of the New Republic and Mars. We would help set your people free in exchange for mutual trade, economic and military support agreements. Knowing the stakes, my father elected to send his best pilot; someone he knew that he could trust to get the job done right. Me. Happy?" Elise finished with a stern tone at the end, annoyed by the constant interruption.

With the mention of Axis, Amaury couldn't help but remember his mother's words followed closely behind by his father's face. That place was essentially where his life began and to hear it referenced in her story brought a slight chill up his spine. If her story and accusations of a Mars-based Zeon existence were true, that would mean that they were not alone and that she was essentially a product of the sister society of the one his parents struggled to keep alive.

"Well. That is a lot to take in." Geoff stated with a chuckle as he looked to the woman on the other side of the glass wall from him. They had been stuck in there for days and she made no mention of this, despite some of their more social conversations. "Well it is all true. Believe it or not." Elise replied, once more cycling through all of the eyes in the room until reaching Carina's as she was the one who asked the question in the first place and she sought to know of that was enough. After a brief moment of silent staring between them, Carina nodded.

"I believe her." She stated despite the fact that it truly was a lot of ground breaking information to handle. How could humanity have gone so long without knowing the existence of an entire society on Mars? Elise didn't explain everything she desired to know, but what she had asked was enough for now. "I will repair the Scarlet Glint." Carina added, bringing the slightest of grins to the Martian woman's lips. "Thank you, Carina." She replied as Carina smiled in a friendly manner before turning back to her exhausted lover, who despite his best efforts was showing signs that now even standing still was bothering him.

"We should get you back to the hospital; you've been standing way too long on that leg." The girl said softly, trying not to embarrass him with her worry as she once again swore she could sense an emotion; this time pain. With a smile the boy silently agreed, turning to Marcus as he laughed. "Smart man. You'll keep listening to her if you know what is good for you." He boomed as the others laughed as well, save for Elise him simply continued her small grin, for once not entirely displeased with their childish banter.

They had grown quite a bit the last few weeks she had known them, transforming from children into a force to be reckoned with though whether it was the combat they had experienced or the loss of their friends she did not know, and for the first time she was beginning to see what her father hoped to find in this group. "You guys go, get some rest. There is a lot of hard work on the horizon, battles to be fought and won. Enjoy your time off." Geoff instructed as the group looked at one another and agreed in silent unity. "Alright, but I expect to see you out of here soon, Captain." Marcus replied to their leader with a laugh as the imprisoned man nodded. "You will. Take care." He replied once more, waiting until after their departure to look at the woman in the cell next to him.

"Mars, huh? That would have been nice to know three days ago." He joked as Elise looked at him from the corner of her eye, turned and walked to a window to stare out at the colony. "You didn't ask." She responded, bringing Geoff to laugh once more. "Fair enough."


	27. Chapter 27: Steel Cross

"How much longer do you think he'll make us wait?" Carina asked as she turned to look at Amaury, the only other person in what had become Admiral Krupp's temporary office at the top of the Dresden Headquarters. "I'm not sure, but I doubt much longer. They said this was important." Amaury replied while looking to the girl standing next to him, his eyes once more tracing over her and the completed New Republic of Zeon uniform they now wore. It was similar to that of the original Zeon soldiers but lacked the embellishing golden eagle and trim, with the only variation in color being the red collar with their rank insignias and the patches on the sleeves; the right bearing the flag of the NRZ while the left remained blank for the time being, reserved for the patches of each soldier's division.

While not an important matter, the uniforms were an excellent sign of the uniformity of the New Republic as well as the excitement of the people it composed of, with clothing stores around the colonies volunteered to produce the clothes at their own expense to allow the Republic to focus on other tasks financially. Seeing Amaury's stare the girl blushed and gently tapped his leg with her hand to snap him out of it, knowing it wasn't just the uniform that caught his eye. "Stop it. What if Admiral Krupp sees?" She whined playfully as his blushing face looked down to the floor with a smile. "He's going to notice how beautiful you look regardless." He whispered in reply, focusing from the corner of his eye at her long braided black hair that ran down her back the same way it had the first time they had met, forcing her to blush even darker and smile.

"Amaury." She hummed in a loving tone while taking his hand in hers, thinking about how things were changing. Not only had the colonies' journey to Hagen been under way for two days, but they had been reduced from nine to six in an effort to consolidate the population of the New Republic, both for ease of transport and as a means to better defend them from any attack the Federation could send their way. Secondly, Amaury had been allowed to leave the hospital with the stipulation that he was not to return to active duty until cleared by Dr. Emerson himself and the two found themselves with an easy decision to make.

Unable to return to the _Warsaw_ since nearly every vessel in the fleet was in dry-dock for repair, the two chose instead to move into an apartment together near the center of the city, convincing both Tome and Marcus to do the same though the latter remained in separate rooms. They had only just made their way to their new home and began to unpack their things before receiving word that Krupp wished to speak with them immediately and that they should come in proper uniform, leaving them little time to express how their appearance made one another feel. About to speak how she felt in return, she was interrupted by the jiggle of the door handle and quickly withdrew her hand from his at the sight of Admiral Krupp walking through the door frame.

"Ah, there they are!" The Admiral's low-toned voice boomed out with a laugh as both Amaury and Carina shifted to salute their commander. "Admiral Krupp, Sir!" Both called in reply as Krupp saluted back and immediately waved their hands down, in no mood for pleasantries or proper conduct. "Please, I've saluted more people in the last two weeks than I have in my entire career. I can't even get a bite to eat around here without someone approaching me to ask for a handshake, a photograph or a lengthy conversation." Krupp replied in an exhausted tone as Carina couldn't help but smile.

"Well sir, you are their hero; the one who set them free." She replied to her commanding officer as he stood in front of them with a wide grin that remained only partially visible beneath his well-kept facial hair. "No, Miss Hughes. I am the one they see as that man when in actuality it is people like you and Amaury here who are their true liberators. You have all achieved such great things these last few weeks; things that I must admit I did not fully believe could come true. I am so proud of you all." Krupp continued with a smile as his gaze turned to Amaury, looking down to his false leg for a brief second before returning his eyes back to the boy's.

"You have turned into quite the pilot, Amaury Dietrich. Monty's judgement to allow you into his program has paid off, regardless of his traitorous intent. I do hope you are not too upset about authorizing Doctor Emerson to place the SICOS in your head. It was a decision I did not take lightly." The stern and apologetic Admiral added, placing a hand on both of their shoulders as Amaury shook his head.

"Thank you, and I understand that you had little choice, we need all the pilots we can get and I intend to keep fighting." The boy replied, fighting the urge to call him sir as Krupp turned and faced his desk, looking down at several bundles of paperwork in doing so. "Good man. Now, I'm sure you are probably wondering why I asked you to join me here this morning, right?" Krupp questioned with a grin as he found what exactly he was looking for on his desk and turned back towards them holding what appeared to be nothing more than a generic stack of papers clipped together. "We didn't do anything wrong… did we?" Carina asked as she looked to Amaury from the corner of her eye, concerned that it may have had something to do with their relationship as her hand reached for Amaury's before stopping as she caught herself.

Noticing this, Krupp smiled. He had heard that the two had become very close and practically inseparable, especially after what happened during the Liberation efforts, and he assumed her question was related to this. "No, no. It is actually the opposite. You will see." He replied with smile as the door to his right opened allowing Marcus and Tome to enter. "Well there is two more." Krupp added as Tome and Marcus fell in line next to their already present friends, joined a few moments later by Geoff who walked through the door a free man once more.

"Ah yes, there he is. Glad to have you back." Krupp stated as he entered, bringing Geoff to smile with a subtle nod. "Good to be back, Admiral. Have you told them yet?" He questioned as Krupp shook his head, bringing the four friends to look at him with both confusion as well as relief that he was finally allowed to return to lead them. "No, I have not. I thought that it would mean more coming from you." Krupp replied, bringing Marcus to turn to their squad leader with a grin of his own. "Come on man, just tell us already." He laughed lightly as both Carina and Tome agreed, bringing Geoff to laugh under his breath and grin at the impatient crew before him. "You are all being promoted." Geoff finally admitted as the group looked amongst themselves before focusing on Krupp as Geoff moved to stand next to him.

"That's right. For courage and valor in both Operation Duality and the Liberation of Side 3, you all are to receive The Movement Service Medal as well. The first group of awards to be handed out by the New Republic." Their leader added as he looked down to the paper in front of him, detailing those who were to receive the medal he spoke of which would include all members of the Movement prior to the reorganization into the New Republic's military. Hearing the news the group looked amongst themselves in surprise, with hints of excitement across all of their faces save for Tome, who's smile faded a bit as she turned towards Geoff.

"What about Sam and the others who died? Will they be awarded as well?" She questioned as Geoff looked back to her with a small nod. "Yes. I was just about to add that. It has also been decided that for his heroic sacrifice to save his fellow pilot, Sam will be the first awarded the Steel Cross of the New Republic." Their squad leader replied as Tome's eyes widened and began to well-up with tears as thoughts of his death flushed back to her, knowing that he had in fact sacrificed himself to save her.

"That… that is great news." She replied, as Krupp turned his attention to the girl with only half the smile he originally bore. "We have tried to locate his family to receive both awards when they are finished being made, but in the current state of our records and the confusion brought on by the relocation, that task is proving quite difficult. From what I understand you were quite close to the boy and as such I must ask; would you mind holding his medals until such a time they could be given to his family?" Krupp asked, bringing Tome's teary eyes to him now as she stuttered, unsure if it should be her or one of the others. It was because of her that Sam was killed; if she wouldn't have become disabled she could have helped herself and he wouldn't have had to try and fight off the leader of Cerberus alone. Did she really deserve to hold his medal? Would he want her to?

"M-Me? I…" The girl began to reply as Carina watched on, sensing once more what appeared to be sadness and hesitation from her friend. "It's okay, Tome." Carina added as she reached out and placed a hand on her right shoulder followed shortly behind by Marcus who did the same on her left as Amaury watched on. Hearing Sam's name brought back his voice; his request that he watch over Tome still resonating loud and clear, bringing Amaury to place his hand over Carina's, bringing both girls' eyes to him. "He would want you to have it." The boy added, forcing Tome to stare for a moment before smiling a little and turning back to the Admiral with a small nod. "I will hold it for him." She replied finally as the understanding Admiral grinned with his response. "Excellent."

"Now, to the promotions at hand. With the Movement now dissolved and molded into the core of the New Republic's military, we find ourselves in dire need of field officers to lead the new recruits, whether they are fresh from our bolstering recruitment lines or the Federal defectors. Bear in mind and that we are in the process of reorganizing the ranking system for the NRZ Defense Force." Krupp began as he motioned for Geoff to move closer so that he may hand out the small rank insignias to his crew himself.

"As such, as of this date and effective immediately, Petty Officer 1st Class Marcus Northwood and Amaury Dietrich as well as Petty Officer 2nd Class Tome Himare are hereby promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Raditz has been awarded this promotion posthumously. Congratulations to the three of you." The Admiral announced while Geoff handed the three before him their appropriate patches, all four of them standing at attention at the mention of their names. Smiling to herself as she watched her friends receiving their promotion, Carina nearly jumped upon hearing her own name; her vision snapping back to the Admiral from its position on her lover as he looked down at the patch in his hand.

"1st Lieutenant Carina Hughes, you have been promoted to Major. Keep up your excellent work, congratulations." He stated as Geoff handed the girl her own patch, causing her look down and blush as the notion, curious if she had earned that title. She already knew that she would continue to be in charge of the mechanical and engineering corps, but now it was official that she would oversee it all and it would all be her responsibility, only further adding to the crushing weight in her shoulders.

"Thank you, sir." She replied, turning to Amaury with a blushing smile as Krupp nodded and moved his own attention to the man who had previously been handing out the patches, handing him his own. "And for you, Geoff. I am promoting you to the rank of Colonel and appointing you head of the New Republic Joint Fleet for the time being until it can be appropriately divided into subsections. You have proven yourself to be an excellent leader and we will need you to keep that excellence going in the coming months. Can you handle that?" Admiral Krupp asked as a surprised Geoff stared at him for a brief moment and then nodded.

"Yes sir, I sure can. Thank you." The man replied with a grin as Krupp nodded and handed Geoff his own patches before setting the papers down and clapping his hands. "Alright, well. That was all that I had for you all today, you can return to whatever it is you all had planned to do. I know that you most of you are slated to return to work tomorrow, so enjoy this day." The Admiral added as he saluted his soldiers and dismissed them to return to their tasks.

Entering the hallway, Marcus turned to face towards Geoff as he shut the door behind him. "Son of a bitch, I was hoping they would keep you in there just a while longer; just to make you sweat a little." He joked, bringing Geoff to laugh and place his hands on his belt. "Who would be there to lead you into the coming shit storm then?" Their new Colonel questioned Marcus before the two girls swarmed forward and hugged onto him, happy he was back with the crew. "Easy now, easy." He laughed as they let go amongst Marcus' own booming laughter and Amaury's small grin.

"Has Elise been released as well?" Carina asked, curious if she truly intended to leave once the Glint was finished being repaired, to which the man nodded. "Yeah she's out, not sure where she went though. I think she needed some time to spread her wings after being cooped up in there so long." Geoff replied, causing some concern to rush over the chief engineer. If she was going to check on her mobile suit expecting it be completed she would be mistaken.

It had only been three days since Elise requested that she repair the Glint and her crews had only just begun the process of removing the damaged pieces in preparation for her full return to work, not to mention that Carina's design for the requested upgrades had not entirely been completed as of yet as she was making sure she could do everything possible to create an enhancement to both the machine and Elise's abilities, not a hindrance.

"I'd say that is a safe assumption." Marcus added, breaking Carina free of her thoughts as she nodded in agreement, knowing that Elise hated being trapped in that cell. "Anyway like the Admiral said, I recommend you all enjoy the rest of your day off. Tomorrow it is all hands on deck. We need to get this fleet ready to repel whatever the Federation has in store, and as officers of the NRZ I expect you all to take charge and lead by example, though I have no doubt you are capable of doing just that." Their Colonel said with a wide smile as he looked over his newest officers, focusing on Amaury at the end. "Amaury, I understand you will not be returning to us for a few more days at the earliest. You have my permission to take as much time as you need." He added as Amaury shook his head, not wanting to be the only one still on rest at such a crucial time in the development of their new home.

"I will be back as soon as Emerson allows me to, and if they come for us you can bet I'll be there; regardless of what he says." Amaury replied with his utmost certainty as Geoff continued his grin in admiration of his dedication before shifting his eyes to Carina who huffed and placed her hands on her hips in displeasure at his words. "You will return when he says you can." She replied as Amaury turned to look at her as his serious look grew into a small smile and his hand reached up to nervously rub his neck, carefully avoiding the still rather sensitive area around the port in his neck. "Yes, my Carina." He replied, forcing the girl to blush and the others to laugh as her angered expression faded; unable to scold him with his public display of affection. "Again, smart man." Marcus laughed, watching as once more the two took each other's hands discreetly, followed shortly by a question.

"Can I see the Jaeger?" Amaury asked as Carina stared at him for brief moment, and then nodded. She knew he would want to see the machine eventually, despite surely knowing that it was in rough condition. "Of course you can." She replied with a kind smile and turned to the others in the group. "Do you need anything else Geoff? We are going to head down to the dry docks for a bit, and then we probably should finish settling in to our apartment. I'm sure there won't be much time for that soon." Carina questioned, refraining from asking Tome or Marcus if they wished to come as she knew both had things to do. "Nah, get out of here you two. I'll see you tomorrow Carina." Geoff responded with a grin as he looked to Amaury, knowing that this would be the first time the two were alone together. "Alright, see you in the morning. Enjoy your day off guys!" Carina replied with upbeat smile and a wave as Amaury nodded in his own mellow goodbye, following close behind as they made their way back down to street level.

Standing before the Jaeger's unarmored frame as it stood in Dresden's dry docking facilities, Amaury couldn't help but feel ashamed at the damage he had allowed to be caused to the machine Carina worked so hard to build and maintain for him. It was hard to even tell what it was at the moment as nearly all of the armor was stripped from the machine and laid neatly in staging areas to each side of the mobile suit.

"It's really not as bad as it looks." Carina replied as she watched his eyes skimming over the parts, including what once was the cockpit he sat in; the hatch door nearly destroyed from both Tegan's stolen heat hawk and the torches used to gain entry to the cockpit and save his life. "I mean, the only issue we are going to have is that we are running out of spare parts. This just means that once we reach Hagen I will have to develop replacement parts from what we can produce, but given the age of the Kampfer, the Jaeger is due for general updating anyway." Carina tried to explain though Amaury remained burden by guilt nonetheless, walking forward as he ran his hand across the damaged armor from his cockpit.

Even though it was over two weeks ago he could still feel the burn of his own heat hawk as it tore through both his suit and his flesh. "I'm sorry that I keep destroying it." He replied after a moment more as he turned back to her with a heavy conscience, making the girl tilt her head in confusion as to why he was apologizing. "It is my job to make sure you and the others have top-notch equipment, Amaury. Don't feel bad because of it. Plus, of all of the machines I've designed and tweaked for the Republic so far, this is without a doubt the most important." The girl replied before walking over and wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him into a hug from behind him.

Knowing that the reason for this was because it was his machine, Amaury smiled and placed his hands over hers as she buried her face into his back. "Well I'm sure my opinion is _heavily_ weighted, but I would have to agree." He replied as he looked to the machine's inactive head sitting to his left as she giggled in reply. "Only slightly." She hummed as she gently squeezed his stomach, opening her eyes to spot both Latty and Douglas entering into the large dry dock chamber around the same time Amaury began to sense the duo. Spotting the two lovers in front of what once was his own mobile suit, Douglas scoffed and turned to his Zakum which had spent the last few hours receiving routine maintenance and systems checks following their extended battle while Latty stood near.

Narrowing his eyes on the two, Amaury recalled the assistance he provided to him during the liberation, allowing him time to make it in close to strike at the heart of the _Due Diligence_ on his suicidal striking run. "You know he helped Tome and Marcus save you, right?" Carina asked, knowing that the two had held some animosity towards each other even up until the beginning of the battle, though it didn't seem to matter much when Amaury was in need.

"Maybe talking to him will help ease some of the tension? I mean, your lives depend on one another after all. It's just a thought." Carina added as Amaury's eyes shifted to his love and then back to Douglas. He had heard the pirate assisted in his recovery, though he didn't quite understand why. As far as he knew this character hated him and likely blamed part of Lord Kurin's fate on him, but if this was the case, why help save him? Was he that loyal to his duty?

"Maybe." The boy replied as Carina rolled her eyes and sighed. "You boys are killing me." She huffed, grabbing his hand and dragging him over towards the two herself as Amaury failed to resist, unwilling to disobey or disagree with his love. "Hey!" Carina called to their formed enemies as they neared, though both of the Newtypes has sensed their approach before a word was spoken. "Oh, hello." Latty replied, a bit unsure who this woman was. She had only been out of the hospital a few days and had yet to meet her, though from her interlocked fingers with the young ace she assumed she was of some romantic importance to him.

"I don't think we've met. I'm Major Carina Hughes, head of engineering." The girl called to the red headed woman, holding out her hand for her to shake as she did so while Douglas motioned towards Carina. "This is the girl I told you about. The one who redesigned these machines." He stated as Latty looked back to the girl with an apprehensive stare. Meeting these people was an odd experience knowing that not long ago they were locked in a desperate struggle against one another. Shifting her eyes to the girl's hand, she reached forward and shook it calmly, still a bit uneasy. "Latty Kriets." Latty replied as Carina smiled and turned to introduce Amaury, though the woman cut her off before the words could escape.

"I've already met this one." She stated with a sly grin as Amaury stared back blankly, remembering her attempt to strike him in the head with a tin cup. "Yeah he's the one with the last Blitz; I'm sorry, the Jaeger." Douglas added, looking to the boy from the corner of his eye as he did so as Amaury's recovering eyes narrowed on him. Did he really still hold hard feelings over the Jaeger? "I reviewed the combat footage. I guess our little dual back when was just the opening act, huh?" Latty asked with a grin as she turned to Douglas. "Let it go, he flies it better than either of us ever had." She instructed as Douglas stared her down and sighed. "I don't care that he has it. Honestly, I'm satisfied with what they have assigned me now. Kurin was right to envy those suits, though I do have some requests for improvement." The man replied, as Carina looked to him and smiled.

"I'd love to hear what you are thinking. Each pilot is permitted to changed what they want about their personal suit, so long as it does not present too much of a problem for the maintenance teams. I must warn you however, I am a bit backed up at the moment, so it may take some time until I can get to your request or I could assign your suit to one of our other engineers if you would like." She stated as she thought about just how much word she personally had to manage, and she was thankful when he shook his head. "I understand our situation. It can wait." The man replied as Carina nodded in acknowledgment with a smile.

Having watched Douglas throughout the entire conversation, Amaury seized the brief silence to speak and ask the question that had been on his mind for some time. "Why did you help them save me?" He blurted out, bringing all eyes amongst them to himself in the process though his own locked only to the man standing directly across from him who crossed his arms as he continued to lean on the safety railing behind him. "Well you certainly were not going to fly out of there on your own." The man replied as the two of them maintained their gaze.

"You don't like me. You don't even want to be here." Amaury stated in contrast to Douglas' attempt to discard the question, bringing him to sigh in annoyance and turn towards the boy. "Look. Like it or not we are wingmen; teammates. Teammates don't just abandon one another, no matter their personal issues. A 'thank you' would be nice." Douglas responded once again as he walked towards the boy who continued his stare. So it was duty? If so, this was something he understood. If that had been any other pilot out there unconscious and dying he would have done the same thing, even if it was Douglas. They were in this together now, no matter their previous disagreements or loyalties.

"Thank you, Douglas." Amaury finally admitted after a brief moment more of silence while the man smirked. "Next time try not getting yourself killed." He added with a grin as he turned back to Latty and walked towards her. "C'mon, let's go sis." Douglas instructed as both Carina's and Amaury's eyes widened a bit. They were siblings? They didn't particularly look like one another, though it would explain his rather high level of worry when she was injured. "Right. It was nice meeting you." Latty replied as he passed, turning towards Amaury and Carina with a grin of her own before following her brother away from the two and out of the hangar.

"To be honest I would have never guessed they were brother and sister." Carina stated as they two left the hangar, destined for their new home in an effort to get everything situated before the day's end. The next day she was to return to working on their fleet, and leaving Amaury home with anything to do besides relax was not on her list. "I swore they were a couple." She added, looking over to her lover as they continued their drive home in the car assigned to then by the new government.

Having grown up in the fashion Amaury had he did not learn how to drive, which was ironic since he could pilot a war machine but not the small sedan they sat in. "Marcus will be happy. He's taken an eye to her." Amaury replied as he looked out of the window of the vehicle at those walking by, going about their lives as normal as possible given the circumstances. His eyes focused on what appeared to be a young couple and a small child; each parent holding the child's hand as they walked. Is this how things would be when they got to Hagen when their lives became normal? The family looked so happy together; would that be them as well? Was he capable of such?

"That's a bit odd, isn't it? Marcus' for as long as I've known him has been 'why have one when I can have them all', so I have a hard time imagining that he would chase after any woman specifically." Carina questioned in a mocking tone, causing her to giggle at her own joke before sensing the slightest hint of emotion filling the air. Bringing the car to a stop at a red light Carina turned to Amaury, sensing a combination of sorrow and worry. "Are you okay babe?" She questioned as the boy's eyes shot to hers, his cheeks red from the use of a new pet name.

"Yeah, just thinking. That's all." He replied while reaching out to take her hand in his, bringing a smile to her face. "If it's about the Jaeger, stop worrying about it so much. Really, it's okay." She replied, squeezing his hand as he looked back out of the window at the street. "It's not just that. I just saw a family back there and… well… I just hope I can be 'normal' for you." He whispered in reply as the light turned green, forcing the girl's attention from Amaury back to the road as she began to drive once more. "Normal?" She questioned, tugging his bad arm gently as to not hurt it.

"Yeah, normal. Like those people outside." The boy replied, motioning his head towards another family, this time playing in a small park near a school. "Normal people get married and have children. I… I want that, but I don't know how to be a husband, let alone a father." Amaury added, looking down at his mechanical leg; it's cold metals just another example of how far from normal he truly was. Feeling his sorrow deepening as she came to another stop light and coming to a stop in the turning lane, Carina turned towards him once again.

"Amaury stop it." She began as she waited for him to turn back towards her before kissing his nose gently. "You are you, which is what is normal to me. I love you the way you are. A-And I think you will make a perfect husband. I've never felt so safe or loved before in my whole life, and that is a big part of being a husband." Carina finished as Amaury smiled, looking at their hands on the console between the seats. "And a father?" He questioned as Carina's cheeks used red, looking down now at their hands as well. She too had spotted the family walking hand in hand, making her think about their own children.

"You will be an amazing father." She replied, their green and brown eyes locked together as their stare flushed the previous emotional aurora from the car, filling it now with content and happiness as Amaury smiled. "Now, stop being so harsh on yourself. I have a surprise for you." Carina hummed as she turned right and then immediately left, turning into the parking lot of a local grocery store near their housing as Amaury looked on with wide eyes, then turned back to his love. "Really?" He asked as she nodded with a giggle, knowing he was beyond excited for this.

"Like this?" Amaury asked as he carefully did just as Carina asked of him, cutting the carrots into coins as even as possible. They seemed just about right, but there were a few that did not match in thickness, making him worry that this sort of thing could ruin the stew recipe that she had chosen for their first meal they cook together. Turning from her own task of peeling potatoes, Carina looked over his shoulder and smiled. "They look good. Don't worry if they are a little different, they will all cook the same." The girl replied as she kissed his cheek and returned to her bit with a twirl, overjoyed by the activity he had initially suggested.

Being a college student on a tight budget didn't always allow for lavish dishes, and it had been some time since she had last cooked a true meal; making their adventure even more meaningful. "Are you having fun?" She asked as Amaury looked over towards her and nodded with a smile, his eyes focusing on the day dress she had changed into to avoid getting her uniform dirty, letting her hair flow down over her shoulders in a relaxed state while he had simply changed into a pair of green combat pants and a generic grey hoodie.

"Of course I am. I'm here with you in our own home, helping you make dinner for the both of us." He replied as he looked back to his carrots as he continued cutting, cautious not to cut his the tip of his finger off with the sharp knife. "I could do this every night, and I will, so long as you let me." He added as he scooped up the cut pieces of carrot in his hands and placed them into the pot between them on the stove, looking to her as she giggled.

"I'd like that, my Amaury." She hummed as they both worked diligently to prepare the meal; Amaury moving on the chop several groups of spices as instructed while Carina carefully divided a large piece of beef into stew-sized pieces and added them to the pot, now filled with water and set to boil. This reminded her of cooking with her mother just as she had recalled when he first brought it up, but there was one thing missing.

Finished cleaning her hands and moving on to stir the stew and add the herbs Amaury finished chopping, Carina began to sing; her voice catching the boy behind her off guard as his eyes slowly widened and looked to his love in surprise. " _Return to me, my love, sooner than later. It's been so long, I often wonder if you remember my voice, or if that even matters._ " Seeing his attention had now turned to her, she smiled and turned a darker shade of red as she brushed her hair behind her ear, continuing her song that despite a sad subject was sung in an upbeat tone.

" _I dream of the moment you can be in my arms once more; my soul longs for our hearts to be one._ " She sang as Amaury's ears indulged in every word his Carina sang; her voice seeming to mimic that of an angel as she spun around to the countertop to gather another handful of herbs, running her hand down his arm as she did so driving both of their hearts wild. Giving the stew a quick stir and placing a lid over the pot to trap the heat inside, she walked over to Amaury and hugged him from behind, pressing his hand wielding the knife carefully to the countertop to signify that he had chopped enough, though since her song started not much more had been done.

Bringing him to turn towards her, she pressed herself against him and looked up into his eyes with a loving smile, taking his hands in hers once more. " _Return to me, so that our life might carry on; when your struggle is done, whether lost or won, return to me._ " She finished, kissing his lips before gently nuzzling her head into his chest while their arms wrapped around one another. "I love you, Amaury." The girl added as her love smiled and kissed her lips once more, though it escalated to much more than once; the two lost in a storm of passion against the countertop until they both needed to stop to breath.

"I love you too." He managed to reply in-between pants with a smile as she giggled once more, looking back to his eyes with yet another idea; one she had harbored for some time. "I'll be right back." She whispered before walking to their bedroom as the boy nodded and watched her disappear. Expecting her to return any second, he turned his attention back to the cutting board in front of him, taking it to the sink to clean while he waited. When he was finished he placed it on the dish rack at his side before drying his hands, hearing something down the hallway as he did so.

"Amaury?" Carina called out in a nervous manner, bringing the boy to immediately turn from the sink and move into the short hallway that leads to their bedroom. "What's wro-" He began, freezing as his eyes widened and locked to his lover in their bedroom door frame with her hand placed to the wood; her long hair partially hiding the fact that she stood naked before him.

"C-Carina…" The boy stuttered as his face darkened as far as it possible could, causing her to bite her lip as she too turned dark red. She was apprehensive at first, unsure if he was ready for such a big step, but with the fire that burned between them she found herself unwilling to control this desire any longer. With a smile she stepped forward and took the boy's hand, staring into his eyes as he tried not to look anywhere but the green orbs before him without her permission.

"I-Is this what you want? To... be intimate with me?" The embarrassed girl asked as Amaury swallowed nervously and nodded thought he was unsure what exactly to say at this moment. Is that what she wanted? It had to be; she wouldn't ask if it wasn't. "I d-do." He replied following a deep breath, placing her other hand in his with a smile. "I-I love you, my Carina." He whispered as her smile widened, bringing her to relax ever so slightly in the knowledge that he too wanted this. "I love you too, my Amaury." She whispered back as she interlocked their fingers together and gently led him to the bedroom before shutting the door with the intention to show the boy just how much he meant to her.

Standing at the helm of the battered cruiser _Jaburo_ , Tegan watched the approaching fleet of Federal Navy vessels as they neared his remnant forces. It had taken nearly two weeks limping back towards Earth before any sign of a Federal response to the blackout at Side 3 was found, and upon dispatching his message back to the Naval Administration, it took another day before this fleet was dispatched. Looking out at the _Titanius_ to his side, the young commander couldn't help but become irritated.

This was exactly what Cousland warned about, a Neo-Zeon uprising and a Federal government that was absolutely powerless to stop it. Even their retaliation seemed weak in his eyes; two battleships, six cruisers and a handful of support craft? Was this really all the Navy could muster to send to quell the insurrectionists, which by now were likely regrouped, rearmed and dug in? This administration was a joke and had cost them so many lives, including those of his brother and their mentor.

"Federal Navy Vessels _Jaburo_ and _Titanius_ , how do you copy?" A female voice called out across the Federal frequency that the bridge of both ships were using to communicate. Narrowing his eyes on the incoming fleet Tegan nodded, signaling their own communications officer to reply back to their reinforcements. "This the Side 3 Remnant Fleet command, we copy you loud and clear." He replied as the voice on the other side wasted no time making her presence known, including her title.

"I am Captain Margaret Pierce of the 2nd Federal Defense Fleet. We have been dispatched under Counselor Wright's orders to assist with the pacification of the Side 3 uprising your forces have reported. Standby for preliminary docking and inspection." The voice once more boomed in a commanding tone as Tegan grimaced; his right eye wincing in pure annoyance. "Inspection? We are what remains loyal of the garrison at Side 3, and we-" Tegan argued before the fiery woman on the other end of the line cut him off, overpowering his complaints with her voice. "What _possibly_ remains loyal you mean, assisted by what was an illegal shadow organization under the Federal flag. You are lucky you are not in cuffs commander. I suggest you willingly submit and cooperate; it will look better on my report to the commission." Captain Pierce warned as Tegan growled under his breath, pissed that after everything they had been through they now found themselves at the edge of a Federal witch hunt.

"Understood." He replied as the transmission stopped, knowing that there was no way out of this. Turning back to his communications officer he signaled for them to alert the _Titanius_ of the situation, bringing both ships to a stop. He was unfamiliar with the officer he had just spoken to, but from her attitude it was clear she was not there to simply assist in his mission to stop the treasonous colonists; she was there to take command of the forces and eliminate the threat herself. "What should we do?" An officer on the bridge asked as Tegan's eyes shift towards him, angered by the situation as a whole. "Prepare for boarding and inspection. We've done nothing wrong; let's make sure it appears as such." Tegan replied as he turned from his position and made his way through the ship, conducting his own inspection ahead of what was sure to be an unpleasant evening.

"Well 'Captain' Trevelyn, it appears that everything is in order for now." Margaret stated as she walked towards the leader of Cerberus amongst a gathering of both his crew as well as those from the regulatory fleet in the _Jaburo'_ s hangar. "As it should be. As stated previously, we are what remain of the Federal garrison at Side 3." Tegan replied, crossing his arms as he stared down the offending officer; a woman no older than thirty with piercing, cold eyes as dark as her jet black, bob-cut hair.

"But you are not from that garrison, are you Trevelyn?" She questioned with a smirk, knowing well where he was from and what he was doing prior to the Battle of Side 3, revealed in the man's plea back to Earth in an attempt to verify his story. She had long known of the base at Cordova, but it was always slated as a restricted storage and housing facility, not the base of a clandestine operations group that worked outside of the realm of the Navy Administration's control.

"Counselor Wright is most displeased to learn of Cousland's 'Cerberus Division' and was hesitant to believe your tall tale about what was happening at Side 3 was anything more than a ploy to stop the demobilization of the Federal Navy, as was the Admiral's objective these last few years. But with the disruption of the communications network to Side 3, what little our recon teams have assessed and the testimonies of your fleet's crewman, I was forced to report that what you claim may actually be the truth." Pierce added as she looked around at the few remaining battle damaged Mobile Suits as the man in question grunted in grave annoyance under his breath. How could they not believe him? Did they honestly think that they damaged their two cruisers themselves, and killed the men and women whose bodies lay in a refrigerated storage room pending their return to earth?

"May actually be?" Tegan questioned as Pierce lifted her nose in interest at his defiance, holding her hands behind her back as she prepared for Tegan's words. "What we are telling you is the truth, god damnit! Every second we waste here under your magnifying glass is another second those rats in the Side 3 colonies have to make their next move; they could be turning one of those fucking colonies into a weapon right now, and we wouldn't even know." Tegan spat as Margaret scoffed.

"A colony weapon? Wright's assumption was correct; anyone serving under Cousland was sure to believe anything he said, including his paranoid beliefs in the old ways. This insurrection is nothing more than a response to the current conditions in the colonies, sparked by the bloody protesting that took place last year, and under my authority it will be resolved in the matter of days. What kind of force are we looking at here? They must have been more than a ragtag group of hijackers if they managed to get the best of the entire garrison and such a prestigious and elite black-ops group." The woman taunted as Tegan scowled; infuriated both by the confirmation of her intention to relieve him of his short lived command as well as by her disrespectful talk referring to his late idle. "Cousland was not paranoid. These people are planning something; something horrific. I can feel it; everyone that was there can feel it. We need to stop them and we need to do it now."

Her eyes having remained locked to the paranoid captain as he angrily ranted, Pierce continued to stare with a face devoid of any emotion as she waited for his speech to end. "That doesn't answer my question." She replied, only furthering the look of disgust on Tegan's face. "And I suggest you contain any emotional outburst such as that for the duration of this operation. You are not above reprimand nor are you out of hot water just yet. I'll ask again, what kind of force are we looking at here?" The impatient woman questioned once more as Tegan broke is stare a few moments later, looking out at the his fleet's severely damaged mobile suits.

"They started as ten mobiles suits and supporting craft. Now, with the traitor Federal Navy forces and given this much time to prepare? Who knows." He replied, shifting his focus down to a few of his crewman who had survived the destruction of the _Cerberus_ ; their faces fearful of the persecution of the government they served.

Huffing in thought, Margaret turned and spotted the mobile suit she assumed belonged to Tegan since it remained the only non-Jegan type suit in their inventory and bore a different paint job from the rest. "Ten hostile suits?" She questioned with a grin, finding the young captain's defeat at such a far inferior enemy force rather amusing. "Those ten pilots had better be some of the best the Earth's Sphere has ever seen or you are going to have quite the humorous story to tell the Counselor when we get back to Earth. Well, not really funny on your part, I guess." The woman added as she looked back to Tegan once more and started to walk away to exit the hangar.

"Well, let's get on it then. Transfer all of your combat-capable suits and crewmen to the _Horizon_ and we will make our way towards this new Zeon threat you so boldly claim lives amongst the Side 3 colonies. Once we are clear, take the _Jaburo_ and the _Titanius_ back to Earth for repair. We won't need them anymore." She commanded before disappearing amongst the scattering crewman while Tegan remained still; paralyzed in anger.

In the matter of just a short few weeks everything had fallen apart. First his brother's death, then Cousland's and now it seemed all of Cerberus Division would not only be lead into combat once more by a stranger, but that it also faced disbandment, meaning that everything they had worked and died for would be for nothing. That couldn't be allowed to happen. He had to prove to both Counselor Wright and this new hot-shot captain of his that they were worth of remaining and continuing on with their work in keeping the Federation and Earth safe.

As the group began to clear out it became evident that those loyal to Tegan alone remained standing, staring at him as if requesting an order from him directly. He knew this loyalty stemmed not from him but from the memory and dedication to both Delacout and Admiral Cousland and that he simply remained an avatar for that loyalty to be channeled; something that didn't bother him in the least. "You heard the woman." He stated as he looked around at the maybe thirty or so remaining Cerberus soldiers, a mixed lot of crewman and pilots, though they now found themselves without a vessel and for some without a mobile suit. "We've got work to do. Follow her orders for now. We will be back on our feet in no time." Tegan added with a small professional grin before the others saluted and went upon their business, preparing to board the Regulatory Fleet's flagship, leaving Tegan once more alone, contemplating just how he planned to fix all of this and restore his brother's life work to its previous glory.


	28. Chapter 28: Guidance

Entering Dresden's dry dock facility after what seemed like an eternity, Tome couldn't help but smile, her face bright with excitement in seeing the large lineup of mobile suits being constructed and repaired; both Zeon and Federation, now all painted the same matching grey color with the flag of the Republic and NRZ identifiers. "Wow." She said to herself before returning a friendly wave to a group of workers who identified her immediately as one of their pilots. Over the past few days since they returned to work she had seen little of her best friend, who she much desired to see.

With as much work needed to be done as there was around the colonies, the Bureau of Logistics had assigned rather strict work schedules to those laboring to prepare the colonies for Hagen and Federal retaliation, and it had taken her three days and much whining to finally land herself a spot working under Carina in the hangar. Making her way first to check on her Zakum, she was surprised to find the machine legless; it's torso secured and hanging inside of it's bay as workers swarmed around it.

"Hey! What are you doing to my machine?" She called out, pretending to be upset as one of the welders working on the internal mechanisms inside of the leg joints stopped welding and lifted his visor as he turned to her. "Sorry ma'am, we didn't think you would be back so soon. This is the upgrade package Major Hughes ordered for your suit, we are about sixty percent done." He replied as the girl stared up at the machine for a moment or two before nodding. "Alright, keep up the good work you guys." The girl replied before moving on towards where she knew the Jaeger was docked and where she was most likely to find Carina. Floating towards the machine's cockpit, she slowly began to hear singing and quickly determined that it was coming from inside.

About to call out the girl's name before she emerged from the cockpit in mid verse, Tome smiled and gasped as the two floated towards one another and into a tight hug. "Tome!" Carina exclaimed with a laugh, spinning her around before pressing their feet to the catwalk. "Well, someone's in a good mood. I wonder why that might be?" She asked out loud in a sly voice as Carina blushed and shrugged, turning to the box of tools behind her as she did so. "I don't know, just happy I guess." The girl replied as she stepped back into the Jaeger's cockpit and began to unscrew a series of large bolts holding the machine's ordinance keyboard in place.

"Just happy?" Tome questioned as she followed Carina, standing in the hatch frame as she watched her friend working. It had been a long time since she had seen her like this and never before had it been with such a permanent smile and enough joy to sing in public. "Mhmm." Carina replied, looking over to her with a large grin as she used her fingers to pull the bolts from their threaded holes, though Tome was skeptical.

"I don't think this is the work of just being 'happy', Carina." Her friend once more stated before her face lit up and her eyes grew wide, believing she knew the answer. "Wait, did… did you guys sleep together?!" Tome questioned loudly as Carina turned an even darker shade of red before looking towards her friend and slowly nodding. "No way!" The curly haired girl replied, moving in closer on her knees next to Carina with a wide grin.

"Well? How was it? Were you nervous? Was _he_ nervous?" She questioned over and over as Carina could only smile and look down to her hands, trying to think of the right way to describe what had happened between them. "It was… perfect." Carina replied, believing this to be the best way to explain it as Tome's smile remained wide, preparing another suitably embarrassing question. "Just once?" She asked as Carina blinked and shook her head, unable to even attempt to lie about just how they had spent the past few nights.

"Carina, you animal!" Tome laughed, forcing Carina to continue looking down in a silent happiness. "Well, I want the details later. I want to know _everything_ , down to the last bit." The girl added, understanding that even though it was only the two of them some things were better left spoken behind closed doors. With a sheepish nod, Carina looked back to her work, peering at her from the corner of her eye once in a while as they spoke. "So how have you been? Getting used to being a leader?" Carina questioned as Tome laughed, looking out of the hatch at the workers below. "Not much has changed really. Maybe it's because we haven't had anyone to fight, since a promotion at our level is mostly field-related, but I still feel the same." She replied moments before placing a hand on her stomach and exhaling in a calming fashion.

"I've been feeling sick the last few days though, like I caught the flu or something but with more stomach issues and sore muscles than anything else." Tome stated, bringing Carina to stop her work and turn her attention fully to her ailing best friend. "Maybe you should go get checked out. I can write you a sick pass for the day if you'd like." Carina questioned though Tome shook her head immediately. "No, no. Are you kidding? I've waited too long to get placed here, I'm not going home now. Plus, I'm pretty sure its just because of how tired I am. Elise had been training me on how to use my abilities after work, so for the past three days I've done nothing but work, train and sleep." Tome added, bringing Carina to tilt her head a bit in confusion.

"Train you? If you don't mind me asking, how?" Carina questioned as Tome sighed and nodded her head with grin. "They've set up an area on Stanton for us to train new pilots and such, out in the agricultural sections away from the city. She says the best way to develop my Newtype abilities is to use them. So we've been using two training GM's and… well… beating each other with blunt training weapons." Tome explained with a laugh as Carina's eyes widened a bit. They were actually hitting one another? Blunt weapons or not, that was likely still painful and it seemed like a risky situation.

"You haven't been hurt, have you?" She asked with concern in her voice as Tome shrugged, rolling up her sleeves to show a few bruises but nothing more. "They don't really hurt, and it actually is helping me. If this is what Amaury feels like in combat, I understand why he is able to do the things he does." Tome replied, reaching up to tie her curly hair into a bun so that it would remain out of the way when she actually did get to doing some work.

"Speaking of your lover boy, where is he?" She jokingly hummed as Carina remained locked to hers, still concerned with the marks across Tome's body. "He is still not cleared to return, though I think today he was with Emerson for a checkup. As much as I wish he was here I think he still needs the rest, and seeing the Jaeger torn apart hurts him. He blames himself for me having to keep fixing it." Carina replied as Tome looked to her, a smirk displayed across her lips. "Well, I mean... you know." She replied playfully as Carina jokingly scowled and pressed her thumb to one of Tome's bruises.

"That's not nice!" Tome laughed as she rubbed the bruise gently, stepping back out onto the Jaeger's new hatch door, looking up at its head above. "So what exactly are we doing to it?" She questioned, assuming that she would be assisting with both this and the Scarlet Glint, which sat legless next to them in dry-dock. Hearing her question, Carina stood from the cockpit seat and came to the hatch alongside her friend before floating up to the head with her friend in tow.

"Well," She began as they placed their feet onto the machine's torso. "From top to bottom, we are changing out the somewhat outdated 60mm Vulcan guns with slightly larger 80mm units, increasing their armor penetration at the risk of slightly reduced rate of fire. It's also receiving an additional sensor system in the forehead where the old antenna was that we never had in the first place, an actual antenna and now a new mono-eye system. This one is green; I hope he is okay with that." Carina continued as Tome nodded, understanding what she was saying as they both made their way to the edge and looked down at the machines body.

"As far as the rest of the machine goes I'm increasing the armor on the legs, the arms and the torso. From what I've found out about the original mobile suit, its armor was purposely lightened so that it could operate a great speed under the strain of gravity. Since that requirement is somewhat void for us now, I feel it will better suit his mission if we can reinforce some of these key components; especially since we are running low on replacement parts." The girl stated as Tome crossed her arms and laughed.

"You can just say that you are worried about him, Carina." She replied, knowing that the girl was purposely avoiding her true concerns to seem less worried about his return to combat. Hearing her words, Carina looked into her eyes and then down at their feet momentarily. "I'm scared, especially with that thing in his head. I… I am allowing Emerson to install the adapter for the SICOS in the Jaeger. It's against my better judgment… but he swears that it is what is best for Amaury. I don't think he would lie to us…" Carina admitted as Tome looked out to the headless Scarlet Glint beside them, thinking about what she was saying.

To be honest, she was surprised that Carina would even consider Amaury using the SICOS to fly, let alone allow him to do so. The device being used to save his life was one thing, but to risk using it was another. "I don't think he would either, but that decision is yours to make. And I say yours because you know that if that machine is going to help Amaury keep you safe, he's going to do it, and no matter what you choose he can't get mad at you. It's literally impossible." Tome replied as she placed a hand on Carina's shoulder, seeing her somber thoughts through her uneasy facial expression. "Whatever you choose, Amaury is one of the strongest people I have ever met, and I'm sure he will be just fine." She added as Carina smiled and quickly hugged onto her friend, sending them both adrift towards the Glint.

"Hey, bruises! Bruises!" Tome cried out as they both laughed and came to a stop on top of Elise's pride and joy, looking down into the top of the opened Torso. "What about this one? What's the plan here?" She questioned as Carina reached down and picked up the blueprints she had designed, left there and weighed down by a magnet by the crewmen she had assigned to prepare the mount for its new head.

"Well this is mostly a simple repair, but because the machine's head was completely destroyed, I had to build a new one. Well, not entirely new. When I plugged into the suit's data systems, I was able to pull up the schematics from the original design; the Gerbera Tetra. Only a few pieces of the suit still reflect the base model, mainly the back and shoulder thrusters as well as the torso, but I was able to find this." Carina said as she held out the blueprints for the new head, bringing Tome's eyes to widen.

"I'm not entirely sure why they opted to use the old head; this model seems more high performance. The only thing I can think of was because the old one allowed the mono-eye to 'track' almost anywhere at a moment's notice, regardless of the head's actual orientation. Most of the parts need to assemble the new head were sent with the machine, save for a few avionics pieces and the central mono-eye. But I did the math and the measurements, and we have one that will fit as well as the correct electronics, and I was able to add the long range antenna, a single 80mm Vulcan gun as well as a secondary mono-eye on the back of the head in this odd void space that served no real purpose. This will help offset the loss of the previous heads' advantages. I just hope she find these upgrades acceptable." She finished as Tome remained focused on the drawing before her; the large antenna of the machine's head making the machine resemble to her what they had always seen Gundams look like growing up until they disappeared from public light.

"She's going to love this." Tome replied with a smile as Carina turned back to her a blinked, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Do you really think so?" She asked as Tome nodded. "Absolutely." If that were true, she would be delighted; not because she sought Elise's approval but because for the whole time they had known the strange woman she refused to trust or befriend anyone and now that she was beginning to do so it would hurt deeply to know she was the one who broke that change.

"Thank you Tome." Carina replied after a moment with a smile, looking back to the Glint below and then to the Jaeger. "You better start working though; I don't want them to pull you off of my shift because all we did was talk!" She joked, making Tome throw her head back and her arms to the side as she unleashed an annoyed groan. "Ugh, I know!"

"Why… are you making me… do this?!" Amaury groaned, pulling his chin over a pull-up bar as Dr. Emerson and one of his assistants watched, the latter of which wrote down her own observation as well as whatever the doctor ordered. "Because kid, I'm trying to see if your heart is going to make your head explode. There was a lot of pressure on that head of yours and before you can fly I need to make sure you don't drop dead. Now keep going." Emerson ordered as Amaury lowered himself for another lift, panting heavily as he did so.

It was nearly ninety degrees in the examination room and he was drenched in sweat which dripped from his arms as he used all of what average muscle strength he had to pull himself up once more; the two twenty pound weights tied to his ankles surely not helping in the least. "B-But why... the weights?!" The wide eyed boy gasped as he lifted an arm above the bar and grabbed on for dear life, trying his best not to fall or lose his leg.

"Would you rather do twenty pull ups with weights or thirty five without? That is your decision. Eight more." The doctor replied as the boy took a deep breath and attempted to readjust his grip, slipping on sweat and falling the eight feet onto his rear. "OW!" He growled while rolling onto his side and staring up at the two before him as Emerson laughed and his assistant held her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Come on, you only had eight to go. Why fall now? Are you going to cry if I make you do all twenty over again?" The short man's voice boomed as Amaury sat back up, readjusted his leg and sighed. "You told me this was about the SICOS, not this. You need to teach me how to use it before we get attacked again." Amaury responded in a stern voice as he panted, wiping the sweat from his face with the military-issue training tank top he had on.

"Teach you how to use it?" Emerson asked as he finished laughing and wiped an imaginary tear from his face. "You do understand the whole point of the SICOS is to aid in piloting a mobile suit or another similar machine with the help of your mind right? I didn't spend hours upon hours with my hands in your head installing a satellite radio; there isn't really any directions." He replied as Amaury lowered his head, unsure what to say next that would not be repetitive to what he had just asked.

"So you're saying I just need to… plug it in and it works?" Amaury asked and was responded to swiftly by a towel lash to the face. "Hey!" Amaury yelled back as Emerson wrapped the towel backup to prepare to strike again. "Did I say that? Again, it's not a fuckin' radio!" Emerson spoke in a loud tone once more, striking Amaury again and attempting for a third though the boy's Newtype power caught on, allowing him to grab the towel and hold it still in a tug of war with the doctor; his eyes staring him down with enough tension to start a fire between them.

"The only way you are going to get my permission to return is if you do what I say. Now, again!" Emerson commanded as Amaury remained silent for a moment longer before standing to his feet and doing exactly what was asked of him; no matter how tedious and stupid it seemed. He needed to be ready when the Federation came back. He needed to fight them.

For two more hours Amaury fought against the gauntlet of demanding exercises Emerson had set up for him, varying from running for what felt like a million miles on a treadmill to attempting to lift weighted objects that even in his uninjured form he would have trouble doing. Regardless of what he was asked to do he continued on, pushing himself until the point where he could push no more, resting himself on his hands and knees as he panted heavily, fighting the urge to vomit what little food was in his stomach.

Watching the boy struggle to move any further, Emerson ran his hand through his beard in thought. He had completed almost every single task he had lined up for him despite becoming completely exhausted by the time he reached the end, a good sign that his body was recovering and adapting to the presence of the SICOS, though it also indicated that he needed more time to heal. The question now was whether or not he was suitable for combat at the moment. If the Earth truly desired their colonies back they would send quite the armada after them, requiring every able-bodied pilot to stave off the invasion, but on the other hand was this boy's body ready to undergo the stress of combat so soon after almost falling victim to it?

"Well?" Emerson asked out loud in a sort of open-ended question to the boy who remained staring at the ground as he answered. "I can keep going." He replied, causing the doctor to chuckle once under his breath. "Can you now? From where I stand it looks like I've broken you for the day." The old man stated in return as Amaury turned his head to the side to look to the two. "I said I can keep going." The boy once more replied as the door behind the doctor and his assistant opened, revealing the dread-locked mercenary leader and his devilish grin. "You wanted to see me, Emerson?" He questioned as he turned his eyes to the boy on the floor; his SICOS port visible beneath his sweat-drenched hair.

"Well if it isn't the Green Demon." Aye stated as he stepped further into the room, catching the doctor's attention. "Ah, there you are. I sent for you over an hour ago, what the hell took you so long?" He questioned in his thick accent as Aye laughed briefly. "Relax old-timer, I had some business to attend to on the _Haakon_. I keep forgetting your height is not the only thing 'short' about you." Aye joked, winking to the doctor's aid that covered her face to hide her laugh, though Harolld found no enjoyment in it.

"And I keep forgetting how funny you are." The doctor replied as he walked over next to Amaury and looked at the port on the back of his neck, noticing that the redness around the base of the metal ring had reduced severely and that there was barely any swelling. "I brought you here for two reasons. One, because this is the upgraded model of the SICOS I had planned to install in place of your current system two weeks ago before the battle took place. You'll have to wait until I can get back to my office at Heaven's End and get another; I only brought one. And two, because the boy is asking how the device works, and though I designed it, I've never used it and can't answer his questions." He added as Amaury looked back up to the both of them with wide eyes at the prospect of finally getting some insight in to how to use his curse.

"Use it?" Aye questioned as he too walked over to the boy and crouched down to look at the port and small 'spine' that ran below to help stabilize it in the boy's neck. "You just plug it in, it just kind of works." Hearing Aye's reply Emerson grunted in annoyance. "I just told him that _wasn't_ how it works, what is wrong with you?" The doctor scolded, forcing Aye once again to grin in successfully annoying the man who had ironically kept him alive several times.

"Well I mean, it may be different for him being a Newtype and all, but that is how it works for me." Aye replied, standing back up as Amaury did the same though the boy leaned onto a wall to support himself on his exhausted feet. "Plug it in, turn it on and if I think hard enough about something it just… happens." He added with a shrug, though Amaury didn't find enough an answer in his words.

"Do you think being a Newtype and having the SICOS will make it work different?" The boy asked the doctor, who looked at him with a blank expression and then shook his head. "I don't know, it's never been tested on a Newtype. I assume it should function as intended, but it is possible that it could react differently. So, it is important that we activate it in a calm and controlled environment; just in case. But, you've done enough for today." Emerson added as Amaury shook his head in protest, desperate to find out more; even if he was basically an experiment.

"I can keep going, we can try it now." He tried to convince the doctor who stared him down. "No. You haven't had any issues yet, and if you want to keep it that way you will take it easy, one day at a time." The doctor huffed as Amaury silently groaned in displeasure. "I am releasing you to light duty for the time being. That means no heavy lifting and certainly no flying. Now I'll be back on Dresden in three days and we will begin to test the SICOS on you then. You are free to go." Reluctantly Amaury nodded and slowly made his way from the examination room, nodding to Emerson's assistant to thank her for helping out as he did so. As the boy disappeared from their sight, Emerson turned towards Aye with a displeased scowl. "Just plug it in? Fuckin' really?" He questioned as the mercenary shrugged and held his hands out to his sides in an innocent ploy. "What?"

Watching out from the center of Side 3 as several boarding parties swept through the inside of one of the three abandoned colonies in search of any traps or sleeper agents, Margaret continued to formulate their plan. It was a rather large surprise to everyone in the 2nd Fleet to arrive at their destination and discover that not only had this enemy force gone missing, but so had the six of the twelve colonies, with the only hint of their final destination a general direction pointed out into space by those remaining at Side 3.

Given their significant head start and the uncertainty of their destination there was little hope that their capital ships could ever catch up to them, leaving them with few options to combat this invisible enemy force. "So you guess their mobile suit forces to be around thirty or so, give or take?" The captain asked as she looked back over towards Tegan as he stood silently in the corner of the bridge, unwilling to have any unnecessary conversations with the woman who had relieved him of his command.

"Based on what they initiated the fight with, the traitor forces that sided with them and what was destroyed during the battle, factoring in repairs conducted with merged and scavenged parts, then yes; about thirty." The man replied, recalling the battle that had yet to leave his mind and his personal victory over that green ace, which continued to fortify the notion that he had avenged both his brother and Cousland, bringing honor to his family in their place.

"Well, we've got about sixty five suits in reserve. Even with leaving ten to defend the fleet, that means we will still catch them at an almost two-to-one advantage and with our Base Jabbers and swift shuttles, we can get fifty five mobile suits out there and into the fight before they could even retaliate." Captain Pierce stated as she walked around the bridge of the _Horizon_ , following the windows as she looked out at what was a battlefield not long ago. Had it not been for the wreckage scattered all around Side 3 she would have been more skeptical of Tegan's claims, though she still doubted that these foes were as deadly as originally reported. And on top of it, Cousland's flagship the _Due Diligence_ was reportedly destroyed and the admiral killed, yet no wreckage of that specific vessel could be found; a fact that Tegan had noticed as well.

"Did your forces scuttle the _Due Diligence_ after Admiral Cousland's death?" She asked as Tegan turned his attention back to her, unhappy to hear Cousland's voice once again come from her mouth. "No. We evacuated all survivors and let it burn, there was no time to destroy it." He replied, immediately catching a less-than-pleased glare from the captain. "So what you are saying now is that you allowed a Ra Calium battleship, a sign of the Federation's strength, into the hands of insurrectionists? Oh Tegan, that is not going to help your report to the Counselor." She scolded with a laugh as Tegan growled under his breath in annoyance. This woman enjoyed toying with him too much for his comfort. Was this some kind of trick? A way of forcing him to reveal a truth that didn't exist?

"We were a bit tied up fighting off their forces. Several of them were aces; truly skilled fighters that required our full attention." Tegan replied in an attempt to explain why they did not destroy the crippled battleship, though the woman found no surprise in this. "Oh I've heard about them already form your crew, many of which speak of them like they are ghost stories or old legends. Which one do you fear the most, Tegan? The blood red and strange looking mobile suit that destroyed the satellite relays? The mercenary with the big axe? How about their strange looking Zaku team, supposedly led by a little girl? Or, wait I know… it was the Demon. The Green Demon who your men claim single handedly destroyed the Ra Calium battleship, killed Cousland and nearly you as well. Was it him?" Captain Margaret questioned fiercely, over dramatizing her question on purpose to further annoy the obviously irritated young man.

Groaning once more Tegan looked away to avoid the woman seeing his scowl, tightening his fists in the process. "He did kill Cousland, as well as my brother and countless others. He was a monster… a monster I slayed." He replied through his teeth as he recalled each and every battle with the boy he had experienced prior to his death, including the brutal ways he would finish of his enemies. Remembering her mention of the red suit brought his thoughts back to the woman who had spent her entire time in the air chasing after him, fighting him tooth and nail for the slightest bit of ground.

From the way she spoke and what he had witnessed her do to their forces at Fort Page and the following battle, killing without reason or remorse, he knew she too was a subhuman parasite like the boy that she would be the next one he killed. His words peaked Captain Pierce's interest, bringing her to watch as he angrily formulated his reply. He sure did hold a lot of anger in reserve; a trait that was quite dangerous, especially in a leadership role.

"One less for us to deal with then." The woman responded as she looked back out to the debris field taking notice that only the most heavily damaged of the destroyed mobile suits remain floating, leading her to believe that the enemy did in fact scavenge for parts to repair the forces. "We will prepare immediately for launch then, we don't want them to continue to gain the upper hand. I will alert the crews. I assume you will be joining us?" Pierced asked as she looked over her shoulder to the headstrong pilot who without hesitation turned towards her and tightened his fist.

"Absolutely. This is my fight and I will see it through to the end." He answered as she smirked, unsure if it was pride or sense of duty that was driving him to return to the fray. "Excellent. Go prepare your suit, we leave in two hours." Pierce added before departing the _Horizon'_ s bridge to prepare her own mobile suit for departure, feeling it necessary to supervise her troops in a battle that was of such high importance, especially knowing that the reports from Tegan and his survivors might have been somewhat accurate. Watching as Pierce left the bridge Tegan immediately followed behind away from any listening ears as she did so.

"Margaret." He called as she turned her nose up and looked back at him, continuing to make her way along the corridor of her ship. "That is Captain Pierce to you, Captain Trevelyn." She corrected, forcing the man to huff in frustration. "Okay, _Captain Pierce_ , I am formally requesting that you allow me to lead the strike force against these rebels." Tegan correctly asked as Margaret stopped in her tracks and spun around to face him with one hand on her hip.

"A bold request from someone in your position." She replied as Tegan stopped as well though only a few inches from her since she so abruptly turned around, leading to the realization that she was shorter than him, though her attitude made up for her small stature. "I know these enemies better than anyone else in the Federation right now, and with that knowledge I know I can bring a swift end to their reign. With bolstered forces such as yours, they won't stand a chance." Tegan attempted again to convince her, bringing a silence between them as she remained staring into his eyes with a face devoid of any emotion. It took courage to stand up to the person persecuting you and ask a favor, though once more she could not determine if what was at play here was honor or a personal vendetta.

"Every fiber of my being wants to say no to your request without question, especially knowing that any action you take will forever be under the flag of the Cerberus Division in the eyes of the Federation's command." She stated as Tegan ground his teeth and looked away, immediately discouraged by her words. She didn't understand what this was; what any of this was! "But-" Tegan opened his mouth to speak but found himself unable to as Margaret placed her gloved finger against his mouth, forcibly pushing his lips shut.

"Let me speak." She commanded impatiently as they both continued their cold stare. "By all accounts that is what I should do. But, I cannot deny that this situation is delicate to say the least, and any form of an advantage would be greatly appreciated. Counselor Wright has instructed me specifically to make sure this task is handled swiftly and efficiently as possible. The Federal Council is already fragmented over the success of the initial rebellion and any further fuel to the fire caused by the destruction of colonies and the loss of innocent life will only serve to further that divide. As such, we will not engage any non-combatants. Do you understand? No colonies, no civilian ships. Military targets only." She replied, removing her finger from Tegan's mouth as the man nodded and waited no longer than a second or two to speak.

"Does this mean you will allow me to lead?" He questioned, bringing Pierce to smile. "The first wave only. With the way you talk such a big game and put so much faith in your command, that should be all you need, right? And minimal civilian casualties?" She replied as Tegan's confident stare remained. Despite her speech she was still untrusting of him, but command of any force in this endeavor was more than what he had now, and he would not throw away the opportunity that had presented itself. "Yes ma'am."

"Come on Tome, get her! You can do it!" Marcus yelled out, standing from the bench they were sitting on as they watched the girl spar against Elise; their two training GMs clashing in the distance over and over with large, solid steel bat-like objects. "Don't let her get you like that!" Someone else yelled out from the small crowd as Elise's red-torsoed 'Instructor' suit smashed into the side of Tome's sending the girl stumbling backwards in the mud before catching her footing, forcing Carina's hands to her chest as she watched her two friends beat each other. Being thrashed around inside of the cockpit was likely what was causing her bruises as none of them were truly use to fighting under gravity, and the thought of her being hurt made her wonder why she agreed to come watch after work.

"Fucking hell!" Tome growled in frustration through her microphone as Elise audibly smirked. "You heard them, come on Tome. Show me what all of this training was for." The blonde woman taunted, forcing Tome to block a follow-up strike with her weapon. "I hope she's okay." Carina whispered as she listened in to their conversation with her headset as the rest of the crowd did, though she had opted to keep her microphone muted as opposed to some of the others. "She will be, don't worry." Amaury replied as he offered Carina his hand which she took with a smile, glad she had asked him to come watch with her; especially since he grabbed the jacket he had given her on his way so that she wouldn't be cold.

"Thank you." She whispered, turning her attention back to the fight just as Tome dodged another blow and struck with her own, she winced as Elise's suit now was knocked down into the mud, much to the pilot's dismay. With a huff to blow the loose hair from her face, the Elise stood her machine back up and stared Tome down. She had become much more in tune with her abilities these last few days and was now blocking effectively on a rather routine basis, only failing to do so when she became too focused on her own attacks. Excellent progress but a fatal mistake nonetheless.

"Alright, again. This time I won't relent when you are knocked down. Your enemy will show no mercy, and neither will you. Remember what I told you; let your mind take control and react with instinct and without hesitation. Ready?" The Martian questioned as Tome grinned, wiping sweat from under the brim of her helmet. "Yeah, but I have to warn you; you'll be the one in the mud!" Tome taunted back with reinforced confidence as the crowd once more cheered, watching the opening strike and blocks from both contenders. She had lost to Elise every time so far, but this time felt different, though despite her improvements her trainer suit had taken quite a beating and she was unsure how much longer it would hold up. If she was going to score her first victory against her teacher she would have to do it now.

Turning to Amaury, Caring gently squeezed his hand to capture his attention as she smiled. "How was your day, love? What did Dr. Emerson have to say?" She asked as Amaury grinned a bit, feeling the pain across his whole body from the excessively extreme trial segment he had gone through. "He had me exercise until I almost threw up, trying to push me as far as I could go." The boy replied, sliding himself closer to her on the bench. "That seems like fun." Carina responded with a small giggle, pressing their foreheads together momentarily before shifting their eyes back to the fight in the distance.

"Not at all. But, he did tell me I can come back to work, just on light duty." Amaury added, focusing on Tome as she used the GM's boosters to accelerate her strike against Elise, forcing the woman to swing her own bat to parry the attack; the sound of the metal objects striking filling the air throughout the whole area. At her love's words Carina looked to him with a smile, happy to hear he was able to return. "Really? That's great!" She replied as Amaury did the same, nodding his head to agree with her excitement. "I promised you that if I wrecked the Jaeger I would help you repair it. Remember?" He asked with a grin as her cheeks darkened slightly, bringing her to rest her head on his shoulder as she looked back out to the brawl. "I remember everything you tell me." She hummed in reply with a squeeze of his hand, cringing as Tome's metal bat smashed into the Instructor GM's head, cracking the visor screen.

"Good. Hit me again." Elise commanded as Tome swung for a follow up strike that failed; her opponent dodging and ramming the tip of her bat into the cockpit door, slamming Tome into her seat with great force as her GM stepped back. "I said again!" She yelled, moving in to strike again and close the small distance in an attempt to finish Tome off, though the girl quickly retaliated; growling out in anger as she swung her bat down to strike the Instructor's left leg twice and on then the already damaged head, causing a visual disturbance long enough to allow Tome to create a distance between them.

"That's our girl, get her ass!" Marcus yelled, jumping in excitement off of the bleachers and running forward a bit to get even closer while the others cheered as well, including the previously reserved Carina. "Yeah Tome, come on! You can do it!" She yelled out, standing to her feet as her free hand returned to her heart in line with the escalation of the fight. Looking up to his Carina and seeing just how excited she had become as Tome began to win brought a smile to Amaury's face, catching her attention as she became embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I just got caught up in the moment." She explained as the boy tilted his head to the side with a small shake.

"Don't apologize. I just hope you cheer for me like that when I am fighting." He joked as she pretended to frown. "No, I'm too busy hoping you are going to come back in one piece." She replied in a serious tone despite her facial expression, bringing Amaury squeeze her hand, about to reply before being brought back to the fight by another cheer from the crowd and the loud crack of metal on metal.

"Stop holding back!" Elise yelled, smashing her weapon into the side of Tome's suit once more as the girl screamed out in anger, blocking and striking at the Instructor GM with furious intent while Amaury's and Elise's senses caught wind of the girl's increased drive to succeed. He had been able to sense her for quite some time starting around Sam's death, which according to Elise was his awakening as well, but now after a few days of training with the woman he could feel her loud and clear, making her presence as a Newtype undisputed. "I'm fucking not!" Tome snarled, the taunts from her friend starting to get to her as she once more was knocked violently back into her seat and instantly sought revenge by slamming the bat into Elise's leg, breaking it this time as hydraulic fluid sprayed across the field around her. This was her chance.

Seizing her opportunity and knowing that her ability to evade with a busted leg was severely reduced, Tome swung to strike again, expecting Elise to block. Doing as she predicted, her trainer lifted the metal bat up and stopped the blow as she sensed it coming, but thinking on her feet Tome slid her weapon violently along the metal shaft, smashing the finger's on the GM's hand clear off in the process.

Grunting in irritation, Elise blocked another one of Tome's blows, doing her best to maneuver without giving Tome and unnecessary advantage. "Thinking outside of the box like that will get you far Tome, but it won't be enough to defeat me." The woman warned in a strict tone as she used her crippled left hand to brace her bat for another parry before kneeing Tome's suit and swinging the bat at her head, bringing Tome to evade by ducking her suit down below the projected blow. "Whoa!" Marcus gasped along with the crowd, shocked by Tome's quick reflexes as even Elise's eyes widened before scowling as Tome rammed her suit's shoulder into the woman's mobile suit, knocking it back and causing it to falter and collapse to a single knee. "No mercy!" Elise demanded, lifting her bat to swing into her opponent's cockpit while Tome lifted her own bat high in the air to strike.

Screaming, Tome brought the bat down onto Elise's suit, smashing the head into pieces in the process while simultaneously using her left arm in a sacrificial maneuver to stop Elise's weapon from striking her own cockpit as the crowd fell silent; Tome's victory evident moments later as the dust cleared and the two suits remained still in their resting place following the attack.

"She did it!" Carina cried out into the dead silence in pure joy a second later as the others cheered loudly, including Marcus who with several others took off running towards the two machines; their hatches opening to reveal the two pilots inside, both of which seemed exhausted.

Stepping out onto the lowered hatch of her suit, Tome panted heavily and pulled the ground-use helmet from her head, letting her sweat-drenched curly hair hand onto her shoulders as she watched Elise step out as well; their suits so close together that she could see the blue circles in her eyes, though she did not wear a helmet much to Tome's surprise, allowing her long blonde locks to blow freely in the colony breeze. She had even refrained from wearing her full jumpsuit, seeing now that at some point after her entry into the cockpit before their skirmish she unzipped her suit half way and tied it around her waist, leaving her with just the tank top she wore inside of it.

"You okay?" Tome called out as Elise stared at her, her face devoid of any emotion, causing the girl to become nervous that she may have been upset; a notion that faded a minute later as she smiled. "Very good, Tome." She replied, bringing a grin to the girls face. "I told you that you would be the one in the mud." Tome replied with a laugh as Elise shook her head and focused on the crowd of people rushing over to see the two of them, screaming and carrying on the whole way across the field. "Well, here comes the horde. Go enjoy your victory, and remember that you need to fight like that against every opponent. That will be your key, tapping into that instinct inside of you." Elise added as Tome nodded and upon hearing a sort of 'cat call' whistle, which likely came from Marcus, she turned to the crowd and held out her arms to the side, enjoying the praise.

"Bow before your queen!" She joked as she pulled the descent line from the side of the cockpit and began to lower herself to the ground where she was quickly picked up by Marcus and placed on his shoulders, his burly figure having no issue lifting the young woman. "Woah!" She laughed as the others gathered around her, looking out with a wave to Carina and Amaury who followed behind the group as she held Amaury's hand and helped him maintain his balance on the uneven terrain. Seeing that she was excited to see their friend however, Amaury smiled and motioned for her to go ahead of him. "Are you sure?" She asked as the boy nodded. "Of course, go ahead." He replied as her smile widened, wasting no hurrying to her side but not before kissing his cheek.

Making his way eventually to the crowd, Amaury stood a short distance back from the group with a smile and his hands in his pockets as they bombarded their hero of the day with questions and praise. It was an amazing fight between the two of them but with so many people telling her so she likely understood that already and didn't need him to say so as well. Scanning through the crowd he watched as Elise descended from her suit unnoticed and started to walk away from the group, bringing him to pursue her.

"That was an impressive fight." He called as he approached her, trying not to trip on an uneven tuft of grass as she stopped and turned around. "She's gotten better. Much better." Elise replied as her eyes shifted down to his leg for a split second, then back to his face. "How is your recovery?" She asked, surprising the boy a bit with her curiosity but even more so by her skin.

He had never seen her outside of her red flight suit and now seeing her exposed arms, chest and back he wouldn't have guessed she would have such a collection of scars that varied in shape and size as well as age. Were these battle wounds? Who could have been fighting a faction nobody knew existed?

"I'm getting there. Emerson says I will be back in the fight soon." He replied, doing his best not to stare as his eyes shift down to her boots, muddied by the earth beneath them. Seeing that he had taken notice to her body she narrowed her eyes on the boy. Knowing he was not one to gawk at a woman in lust she quickly determined it was her scars, and she could not blame him; few who had seen them could resist staring.

"So you've decided to use the SICOS?" She questioned, unsure if he was seeing the crackpot exclusively for follow-up or if it was the intention to use the device, though knowing how he was she already knew the answer, so it came as no surprise to her when the boy slowly nodded. "It will give me an advantage, which is something we desperately need. Especially since you are leaving." Amaury replied, looking out to the crowd of people as they continued to celebrate, focusing his eyes on Carina as she spotted the two and smiled towards them.

Turning to see the girl looking towards them she understood what exactly he was so desperate to protect by placing his own life in even more danger than it already was fighting on the frontline. "I know you probably think that using this is stupid, that I am stupid and that it… tarnishes my existence as a Newtype, but I will do whatever is necessary to keep my home safe." He stated, interrupting her thoughts with exactly what she was thinking which caused her to smirk. "Don't you mean to keep Carina safe?" She questioned sarcastically, drawing the boy's eyes from their corners as his cheeks darkened a bit, originally annoyed but upon seeing her small grin he understood it was a joke. "She is my home."

Watching the group of friends moving towards them Elise turned back to the boy with a sort of new understanding about what exactly was going on in his head, causing her to take a deep breath. "I don't think _you_ are stupid. Foolish, but not stupid. The device itself is stupid. As far as being a 'tarnished' Newtype, I wouldn't say that. And, before you ask, no, that is not why I am training Tome." Elise replied as Amaury's eyes shifted back to her in surprise, unsure why she assumed he was going to ask though he was a bit curious.

"I'm not training her because I think she is better than you. I'm training her because I want her to become _like_ you. You two are some of the most promising Newtypes I've come across, and I felt that leaving without helping Tome realize her potential would be a great disservice to our people. There isn't much more I can teach you because for the most part you've already figured it out on your own. You just needed someone to explain it a little better." The woman continued as Amaury listened carefully with a nod.

He didn't necessarily believe that there wasn't anything she could teach him, but he understood what she meant. Newtypes did not have schools or teachers about how to use their powers, at least in the Earth Sphere, so having her around to even explain these things was more than he could have asked for. "What about Carina? She can sense feelings… that must mean something right?" Amaury asked having been curious about what exactly her Newtype powers entailed, leading Elise to smirk once more and shake her head, watching her come within earshot, leaving her with little time to explain just exactly what the realization of the girl's powers meant. Sensing emotions was a rare feat, even for Newtypes, and if she was being honest even she didn't understand it.

"She's special." She simply replied as the group of three came up to them, leading Carina to tilt her head in curiosity of what she was talking about, to which Amaury simply smiled and shook her head. "What about you Elise, are you alright?" The ever caring Carina asked as the woman looked to her, ignoring the few sore spots on her body from the impact with the seat of her trainer suit. "I'm fine. I've been through worse." She admitted with a stern face as Marcus looked to her scars. "I would say so." He replied, bringing Elise to stare at him to ensure he was not doing the same as she crossed her arms.

Unlike Amaury she didn't trust Marcus not to focus on her breasts instead her scars, no matter how kind hearted he seemed on the inside. "Just be glad you learned to pilot the way you have." Elise stated as she turned to Tome and held out her hand for her to shake, unwilling to express the same soft sentiment she had earlier with the girl in front of a group.

"As I said earlier, good job Miss Himare." She said as Tome blinked and grinned, pushing her hand away to the side before locking the blonde woman into a hug; freezing her in place as she looked down at the curly haired girl in shock. Seeing the hug Carina too lunged in and joined, realizing now that she had never truly thanked her for everything she had done; further confusing Elise who was unsure if this was something she could deem acceptable or not. It had been a long time she had been hugged, and as much as she had reprimanded herself over becoming soft in the presence of these people she couldn't help but smile the smallest of grins and turn just the slightest tinge of pink.

"What?" Elise questioned softly as both girls laughed. "It's a hug, meaning thank you!" Tome replied, confusing the wide-eyed woman. "You two don't need to thank me." She softly replied after a few awkward moments in silence as the two girls slowly backed away with smiles on their faces. "But we do!" Carina replied as Tome nodded, rubbing her sore shoulder. "Yeah, you may not think so but you have helped all of us more than you probably intended. I mean, who else would have taught me how to fight like a real Newtype?" The girl asked as Elise shook her head.

"You would have learned eventually. If you survived." She joked as Tome huffed playfully while Carina smiled. She wouldn't publicly announce how Elise had helped her, but as the two connected eyes she knew that the woman understood her gratitude for that. "Thank you, again." Carina replied as Elise's microscopic smile returned for a moment before returning to a neutral place.

"If you will excuse me I have some things I need to do. Goodnight, everyone." Elise stated, untying her jumpsuit and pulling the top half back on as she began to walk away, making her point clear that she had enough conversing for one day to Tome's dismay as she intended to ask her to join them for dinner. "Well, who is hungry?" Tome asked as Marcus grinned and pointed to himself. "This guy for sure. I've done nothing but load ammunition into magazines for the last three days, and not in zero gravity! Do you know how heavy that shit is?!" He questioned as Tome snapped her fingers and pointed to the man with an evil grin.

"Good, Marcus is buying!" She exclaimed as she turned and began to run back to the hillside where their vehicles had been parked, leaving their mobile suits for the team in charge of the training grounds to reclaim and repair. Despite having not felt well it had seemed to subside with the joy her victory had brought her, leaving her starving and in need of a good dinner with her friends. "Shit." Marcus sighed walking up the hill after her as the others in the crowd dispersed, leaving both Amaury and Carina standing in the field as they both looked up at the trainer GM's.

"So, what were you two talking about?" Carina asked as Amaury turned back to her. "You." He replied as the girl blinked and turned red. "Me? What about me?" She asked as he smiled and reached out for her hand, which she took with little delay. "Just about how truly special you are." The boy admitted, further confusing his lover. "Wait, what?" She asked as his smiled widened. Pulling her in he pressed his lips to hers passionately before breaking off and taking her by the hand back towards their own car to follow Marcus and Tome, unsure where they planned to have dinner. "I'll tell you later."


	29. Chapter 29: Defiance

"Does everyone understand?" Captain Pierce questioned at the end of the brief for their attack, looking out to all of those assigned to the mission including Tegan, who stood with his arms crossed in the center of the gathered pilots. It had taken them nearly a day and a half to find the fleeing colonies despite their large size, and even though it was estimated to take longer the anxious flight group leader was unpleased. As she had originally discussed, the plan was to take a detachment of thirty five suits forward as the initial assault again the enemy forces while maintaining an additional twenty for a second reinforcing and mop-up wave.

They would inserted directly into the combat via Base Jabber sub-flight units with two Jegan's aboard each, while Tegan led with his Stark Jesta since it was capable of high speed, medium distance flight in its own power. There was to be no unnecessary civilian casualties and they had been instructed to request and allow the hostile fleet to surrender before they began their attack; something the daring first wave leader wholesomely disagreed with. How could they give up their advantage of a surprise attack to seek peace? There could be no peace with these people who were so set on war; so set on restarting the vicious cycle that had plagued their existence from the beginning of time.

"Yes ma'am!" The group exclaimed in unison, snapping Tegan from his thoughts as his drifting eyes focused back on Pierce and her ornate Captain's flight suit as she stared intently at him. She was allowing him to lead the first wave unhindered by her command, but was to join them in the battlefield with the second wave as their direct leader piloting one of the three RGZ-95 ReZELs the fleet possessed; a previously produced transforming mobile suit that was one of the first high-expense production models cut and widely retired during the Naval Administration's reduction of arms, despite their high performance in battle against the last Zeon uprising.

"I am placing the lives of my men and woman in your hands, Captain Trevelyn. Do not let this journey take the same path as your last." She instructed in front of their attack force much to his annoyance, forcing him to grimace as he continued to lock eyes with the distrusting woman. He had grown use to her constant belittling efforts to a degree but it still did not aggravate him any less. "I won't. We will be victorious in our effort to retain law and order in the name of the Federation." He replied as a few men cheered, though many amongst the group remain silent, hesitant to fight under the newcomers command given the failed defense effort he had previously lead.

"Good to hear. Now, we launch in ten. Get ready, and good luck!" Pierce instructed with a salute as the conglomerated stomp of boots echoed throughout the hangar of the transport shuttle in reply as the group began to scatter. Being that such a large force was in need of transport to the battlefield many of their suits and base jabbers were docked on the outside hull of the five swift shuttles they used to gain ground on the enemy, including Tegan's Stark Jesta, and as such he donned his helmet and prepared to exit the hangar to the void outside before stopping at Margaret's call.

"I meant what I said, Tegan." She began as she floated her way to his side, running a hand through her dark hair as she held onto her blue-striped helmet with the other; her rank emblazoned upon the forehead in a golden symbol. "I will do my best to keep your soldiers alive. It's not my intention to lose a single Federal life more than is necessary to accomplish our task." Tegan replied, bringing Pierce to smirk.

"While I would appreciate that as well, what I was actually referring to was Counselor Wright's standing on civilian casualties. Even one is too many, so you must do what you can to prevent them." She instructed as Tegan's scowl returned. From what he observed this sentiment was not one shared by their foes as the rioting and fighting inside of the colonies has claimed the lives of many colonists. "I will do what I can to keep the mutinous masses safe. Hopefully they won't turn their guns on us once we set them free." The man replied with a sharp tone of displeasure in his voice at the thought of liberating the insurrectionists, casting Pierce's doubt up on him.

"They may be treasonous, but they are still Federal Citizens under Federal Law, and the deaths of them at our hand will only further any rebel cause across the Earth's sphere. This is why the situation at hand is so volatile. We can win this battle and still lose the war." Pierce stated as she began to pull her helmet on, making sure it was seated correctly upon her neck seal before opening her visor. "I can trust you to complete this task _as instructed_ , right? I assure you that if that is not the case the repercussion will be severe." She warned as Tegan continued to stare with a cold scowl.

"It will be done as you asked." The man replied before proceeding without another word to the nearest air lock. With a grin Margaret watched the irritated man float out into space towards his mobile suit before turning to head towards the bridge of their shuttle to watch as their forces mobilized and set off towards the colonies, who remained barely visible in the distance, just outside of sensor range to hide their advance.

She did not entirely trust that Tegan would remain in line and as such had set up several contingencies to maintain her command should he attempt to deviate from her control and take her mean with him, though she hoped it would not come down to that. "Your suit is ready, ma'am." A deck officer stated as he floated up to her just as she was about to ascend to the command deck, bringing her to stop with a smirk. "Excellent, keep it idling. I may need it sooner than anticipated." She replied before continuing on her way, leaving the hangar below as the fleet of Jegan's began to activate and prepare for battle.

Climbing into the seat of his Jesta the aggravated Tegan remained silent, saying not a single word to any around him who tried to salute or lighten the tension that radiated from the ex-leader of the new defunct Cerberus Division. He had hoped that Pierce would allow him to proceed without her hands meddling with his attempt to end the war but it was clear that those hopes were a pipe dream.

God damnit!" He growled through his teeth after a moment or two, slamming his fist into the sidewall of the metal compartment he sat inside of in anger. How could the Federation have fallen so far? The stories of its might had been told to him since he was a little boy; stories of how the Federation came about to end the suffering of man and stop the plagues that were leading them towards destruction.

How could they be reduced to such cowardice as offering a truce to those who seek to do them harm? They needed to stomp out this cancer regardless of the repercussion it would cause, and the more that came out to oppose them, the more they could strike at the roots of treason and cut them down to their core. This was the way Cousland would have wanted it; the way Delacout would have wanted it. But this was not what the new Federation wanted and that fact haunted him, preventing him from sleeping these last few nights as he tossed and turned.

"Captain Trevelyn, sir? Are you ready to proceed?" A voice asked through his helmet, calling out across the first wave as the others turned their attention to their new strike leader in anticipation. Most of the Jegan's had deployed and had begun to form in wings upon their assigned Base Jabber units, preparing to start the half hour flight towards the colony, all of which had their sensors turned directly at him as they did so. Staring out at his forces he took a deep breath and turned over the reactor on his suit from a low idle to full power, bringing his system online completely.

"All units of the first wave, begin the attack." He replied as his Jesta's eye illuminated and the thrusters ignited, gently easing into moving forward with the rest of the fleet as he did so. One way or another the time to fight these rats had come and even with Margaret's restrictions he planned to show just what their folly would cost them. "All forces group on me and maintain course pending additional orders." He added as the Base Jabbers formed into a delta formation behind him and sped off towards the colonies for war.

These men and women were from one of the well trained fleets in the Navy, and although they were not on par with the limited forces the Cerberus Division Fleet had possessed, they excelled over the mostly rookies garrison forces at Side 3 and would fare much better against the Neo Zeon forces ahead. Even with their few aces there was no way they could fend off such numbers; it was all a matter of time.

Opening her eyes to the artificial light that flooded their bedroom Carina yawned, smiling at the sense of warmth brought on by both the light and the boy whose arms remained wrapped around her. Turning her head a bit to look over her shoulder she focused on Amaury, who remained sleeping gently behind her; his face at peace as his eyes hid from the light by the shadow cast by her body. She could wake up like this every morning for a million years and still never grow tired of it. Gently her hand returned to his as it gently held onto her stomach under the edge of her tee-shirt, locking their fingers together carefully as not to wake him while her attention turned to clock on the edge of their dresser; the time bringing her to frown.

They must have slept through their alarm and despite the fact that she was scheduled to have a meeting with her engineering crew in a little over an hour while Amaury was supposed to meet with Emerson for the second time, she did not want to get up and ruin this moment. However, a few moments later her better judgment got the best of her and with a sigh she gently pulled her lover's arm to wake him while turning to face towards him.

"Babe. We need to wake up." She whispered as the boy's eyes flickered a bit before opening slowly. "Do we have to?" He questioned as he shut his eyes again, nuzzling his head into the pillow as he moved it closer towards hers, bringing her to smile. "Unfortunately, yes." She replied, pecking his lips gently before playfully whipping the sheets from the bed to fully wake him as he laughed sleepily. "Fiiiiine." He whined, rolling onto his back to stretch as she laughed.

"I never would have taken you as the type to lie in bed all day." The girl teased as he jokingly hit her with a pillow, catching her off guard and blowing her messy hair in her face. With a huff the girl stood from the bed with a smile, taking the blanket with her in a bit of small revenge, hiding her bare legs from the boy. "Only when I'm next to you." He replied, forcing her to blush as she sighed, unable to even playfully scold the boy with just how cutely he acted.

"Hush." She warned, letting the blanket drop to the floor, once more revealing the bright orange lace underwear she wore, bringing Amaury to blush with a sheepish grin. "You should get ready. I'm going to shower; no point in you doing so since Emerson is likely going to work you hard once again today." She added, walking to the side of the bed nearest him to kiss him once more, brushing her hair behind her ear as she did so while Amaury nodded in agreement. "Hopefully this is the last time." The boy added as she stood back up and smiled before heading into the bathroom to bathe while Amaury stood and dressed for the day.

Once they were cleaned up and ready the two set out for the hospital where, with a prolonged kiss and bit of worry, Carina dropped the boy off for his appointment with Emerson before heading to the Dresden dry-docks, which had become her home office for the time being.

Heading inside as she looked down at her clipboard she waved to all of her fellow workers, both civilian and military, both of which had grown used to the girl's presence and cheery attitude. Floating out towards her work station between the Jaeger and the Scarlet Glint, she passed by the dock where Tome's Zakum was undergoing its upgrades, noticing immediately that it was missing.

"Excuse me, Jack?" Carina called out to a dock technician who floated by, bringing him to come closer as she floated to meet them. "Good morning Miss Carina, what's up?" The gentleman asked as he came to a stop on the deck next to her as she pointed up to the empty dry dock. " Good morning. Where is the Zakum? Tome Himare's personal unit?" She asked as Jack looked up, shielding his eyes from the harsh overhead lights with his hand as he did so. "Miss Himare came by here last night and took it with her to Achilles. She said something about her stay was extended onboard that colony and that just in case she needed it she would prefer it be within arm's reach. It was finished being upgraded and given her relationship with you we didn't question her when she stated that you wouldn't mind. I hope that is okay." Jack replied as Carina stared at the empty space.

Tome had been visiting her parents on Achilles on her days off, so it would make sense that her machine be with her there. "Oh no, that is completely fine! That machine is assigned to Tome, so if she wants to take it there for the time being that is alright. Thank you for telling me." She replied before returning on her path towards the Jager although she immediately stopped once more as her eyes focused forward on Elise as she floated before up the Scarlet Glint; too far in the distance to see her facial expression and gauge her opinion of the suit's upgrades.

Swallowing nervously as she stared, she knew that she couldn't simply avoid her even if she wanted as by now she had likely sensed her presence and would be expecting her, forcing her to make her way towards the woman while holding her breath.

"Hey Elise!" She called out sheepishly as she approached the woman, her eyes remaining fixated on the nearly complete suit as she floated before the machine. After a few moment's she shifted her eyes towards the girl as she approached then back to suit a moment later. "Hello Carina." She replied as she looked forward to the now horned machine, taking note of the upgrade's origins. She too had seen this head before, but only in the original blueprints and some parts produced on Mars before it was abandoned in favor of a simpler, more versatile design.

"So umm… what do you think? It is almost done, a-and I mean, if y-you don't like it…" Carina began to question nervously, stuttering in fear that she might lash out against her for shoddy work on the machine she previously been so protective over. Of all of the times that she needed to randomly sense someone's feelings, why couldn't it be now?

"I u-used the designs the machine has stored in its data banks, but with some changes. I added a long range antenna and a single 80mm Vulcan gun, I… I figured you could use both, and also-" She explained before Elise cut her off, knowing what she was going to say next.

"A second eye." Elise stated, having seen it before. She must have known to some degree that the reason the original head was equipped was that it allowed for heightened situational awareness, and she was glad to see that aspect incorporated in some way in this new unit. "Y-Yes, I… do you like it?" Carina continued as she held her breath, nearly gasping as Elise's piercing blue eyes shot back towards her.

"Yes. You did a good job." The woman replied as she looked back her machine, not noticing the wide smile of relief that came over the girl as she sighed in relief, holding her heart in the process. "That is such a relief." She whispered, though much to her dismay Elise heard. "Why is that?" Elise questioned, bringing Carina to look up with wide eyes and an embarrassed red face.

"O-Oh, I… well, I didn't want to disappoint you, that's all." She replied as she slowly came to a rest against the torso of the machine next to Elise who focused back on her. "If I anticipated your work would disappoint me I wouldn't have asked you to do it." Elise replied with another of her small grin, surprising the girl with her confidence as she was in disbelief that she allowed her to touch the machine in the first place let alone expect the design upgrades to be satisfactory. "Thank you, Elise." Carina replied as she looked over to the Jaeger, seeing that it too had nearly been finished with both its repairs as well as the upgrades she had designed for it.

"Now if you excuse me, I had better start working before command has my ass. If you need anything let me know." The girl stated with a smile as she kindly waved and began to float towards the green machine next to them as Elise waved once and nodded. "Oh! And you better say goodbye before you leave or we will chase after you!" She added with a giggle before she floated too far away and out of earshot.

Coming to a stop at her temporary work station she turned to one of the technicians standing near with a welcoming smile as she set down her clipboard on the desk, making sure it remained still in the greatly reduced gravity. "How is it looking?" She asked as the engineer saluted her and looked up to the machine. "Good. It is mostly done, really. All of the additional armor has been applied to the torso and the new forearms and lower legs have been attached, hooked up and have had their articulation confirmed. The forearm mounts are also ready for testing." The technician replied as Carina nodded in acknowledgement.

"How about the cockpit?" She questioned as the technician shook his head. "Nobody entered the machine since your departure last night ma'am, just as you requested." He replied again as Carina frowned, despite the fact that her orders were followed. "Thank you. If you need me that is where I will be." Carina replied before heading towards the cockpit, opening it and heading inside to a small mess on the floor and around the seat; just the way she left it. She was in the process of installing the SICOS into the machine's control computers and despite the fact that it was nearly complete she did not want anyone entering.

The device was extremely sensitive and she had to be sure to follow Emerson's instruction manual exactly to prevent possibly harmful malfunctions that could injure or even kill Amaury as he flew; something she would never be able to live with should it occur. Sitting down in the seat she found her bookmark in the installation manual and picked up where she had left off the night before, spinning around behind the seat to continue wiring the what would be the connection to his head; a long braided cable with connectors on both ends, one of which fit directly into the machine while the other went in the port on the back of her love's neck.

Knowing this she took extra care in both installing and handling the jack, not wanting to miss a step or damage the delicate electronics inside. Having almost finished the work the night before it only took the girl a bit more than an hour to complete her task, and when she had finished she sat back in the seat with a deep exhale of both exhaustion and gratification in knowing it was finished. Emerson would be required to ensure that the machine was properly installed, but for the time being she could do nothing more.

Closing the manual she turned her attention to Amaury's helmet next to hers on the console to her right; its visor repaired from the damage sustained during the liberation. Picking it up she looks it over before running her thumb over the flower she had painted on the back which remained bright and colorful against the olive drab paint of the helmet. Just below the flower she found what she was looking for however; a place that was cut out and temporarily reserved by a plastic piece for the SICOS.

Since the helmet was designed on Heaven's End alongside the SICOS, it made sense that a connection port for the system to be easily accessed while wearing the helmet existed, though she hadn't noticed until it was mentioned in Emerson's manual. Careful to avoid scratching the paint of the flower, she used a flathead screwdriver to pry the piece out of the helmet, before looking it over to ensure she did not miss anything. "Perfect." She whispered to herself as she held the helmet in her hands, then against her chest as she hugged onto it, praying she was making the right choice in allowing her Amaury to use the machine to fly.

Approaching the Colonies at a high speed, Tegan looked to the left and right of him at the soldiers who maintained formation efficiently and in a tidy manner, immediately showing their discipline and training. If this was how all aspects of each of them were it was possible for his goal to be achieved even with Margaret's rules, though at the end of the day that could only be decided by the outcome of this battle. They were nearly within the enemies sensor range, and per accordance to Wright's rules of engagement, Tegan was to extend a proverbial olive branch to their enemies and allow for the battle to end in their defeat without a single shot fired or life lost.

"I will go ahead and attempt the communication. Stay on course, in formation and remain vigilant, these rats are crafty." He informed his pilots as the Stark Jest sped up to top speed, leaving the slower moving Base Jabbers behind as he proceeded to enter the colonies communications range, made clear by the sudden appearance of the aptly named 'New Republic Flight Control' signal on his communications scanner.

With a heavy sigh the man reached over to his screen to connect with the signal, but as his finger was about to touch the screen he froze. This was wrong. This mercy they were instructed to show was nothing more than blatant display of corruption within the Federation's highest command structure and yet another example of the juvenile and progressive ideals Wright had imposed upon them.

This was his chance to change the Earth's history for the better. Without their offer to allow them amnesty, they would maintain the element of surprise and crush their foe with exact and righteous power, ending the war and the rebellion in an instant. Retracting his extended finger into a fist, he smirked, turning back towards his forces at full speed before he could be detected by any of the colonies long ranger sensors, falling into formation as he came back to the head of the wedge of mobile suits.

"Any luck, sir?" His second in command asked as Tegan looked over to the man's face on his communications panel for a brief second before looking forward once more. "They have declined to surrender. We will proceed forward with the attack as planned. All forces, prepare for combat." He ordered as the sub-flight groups acknowledged individually and began to move into their planned attack groups of five Jegan's each as they dismounted their Base Jabbers, which wasted no time turning around to return to the fleet to gather the next round of mobile suits.

"You better be paying attention, Marcus. One day you might be doing this yourself you know." Geoff teased as he sorted through paperwork on Admiral Krupp's desk, watching from the corner of his eye as his helper for the day watch out of the window toward the courtyard below. "Oh I am, Geoff. Don't worry." Marcus replied as he turned back from the window and walked over to the desk next to Geoff, looking down at the mounds before them with a bit of surprise. "How could so much paperwork build up in such a short period of time?" He questioned as Geoff smirked.

"Well unlike you and me, Krupp is dealing with every possible aspect of this massive operation. There are nearly fifteen million people who became citizens of the New Republic basically overnight and there is so much that needs to be done. That's why we are here; to help alleviate some of that workload. Take some of this paperwork and separate by topic. Civil to the left, defense to the right." Geoff replied, handing a stack of the papers over to the man as he grimaced. When he volunteered to help he had not realized the task at hand would be so tedious, though it was too late to go back. "Just like when I was back on the force." Marcus chuckled, sorting between the documents as instructed.

"You know he could just try telling his subordinates not to just pile it all on his desk. That way he can easily avoid this mess and the confusion." He added as Geoff laughed at the suggestion. "Yeah, that would be easier, wouldn't it?" Geoff replied as the phone in Krupp's office began to ring, though neither man answered.

They were not permitted to speak for the Admiral, so whatever the issue was it was best left handled directly by him without their interference. "Still planning to return to police force when this is all over? I hear they are looking for experienced officers to take the place of those who left to remain with the Federation." Geoff spoke, trying to make small talk as they continued to diligently divide the paperwork, quickly creating four neat piles amongst those around them. "I don't know man. I would like to, but after all of this, sitting in a patrol car all day drinking coffee and writing tickets to parking violators just seems so… dreary." Marcus replied with a chuckle as his friend shook his head. He knew it would be hard for all of them to adjust when this was over, though he had already decided to remain in the service of the Navy.

After years of serving in the Federal Navy the life of a soldier had become all he knew, so it would only make sense to continue doing as such. "I understand what you mean. We will always be in need of pilots; especially if the Federation refuses to give up and let us be. You will always have a placed amongst us."

"Well it's good to know that offer is there." Marcus replied with a small laugh. He had still not entirely decided which path he planned to take in the long run, but he had plenty of time to remain thinking about it. The flight to Hagen would take at least two more weeks, and once they had arrived it would take time for everything to stabilize and reach a point at which he would feel comfortable leaving his friends to pursue another career path.

"What do you think-" He began to question what Geoff believed Hagen would be like before pausing as the phone in the room began to ring once more, both men stared for a moment before it stopped. "Persistent, aren't they?" Geoff smirked as the man he spoke too shook his head and continued.

"What do you think Hagen is going to be like? Do you think that it will be what we need to survive?" He finished as Geoff looked at him for a good second or two before nodding. "Krupp thinks so. He wouldn't intentionally steer us wrong, so if he believes we will be able to form and maintain the New Republic there amongst that large rock, so do I." His squad leader replied just as the phone began to ring once more, irritating Geoff to an extent now as it had been the same extension number each time.

With a sigh Geoff reached over and took the phone in his hand, setting his papers down on the table in the process. "Admiral Krupp's office, Colonel Geoff Walker speaking. The Admiral isn't in right now, so whatever-" Geoff answered in an unpleasant tone as the voice on the other end frantically spoke over him.

"Colonel Walker, sir! This is Lieutenant Tom Higgs at flight control, we have a major problem! The long range sensors are picking up multiple targets moving in fast and breaking off; the Federation is launching an attack!" The man called out frantically in the phone as Geoff shook his head.

"What?! How many?" He replied back in a hurry as the controller looked down at the screen in front of them, taking what felt like an eternity to count the readings before them. "T-Thirty five, sir. But they were deployed from craft that are returning back to where they come from meaning there will likely be more." Higgs finally replied as Geoff's eyes grew wide and shifted up to Marcus.

A first wave of thirty five hostiles already outnumbered their combat capable mobile suits, and if there were more on the way that would only strengthen their advantage. They had already defeated an opponent who greatly outnumbered them but those pilots were widely rookies who had never seen combat, where as this enemy would likely consist of veteran soldiers or at least those who had received excellent training, depending on who exactly was sent after them.

Reading the look of distress and frustration of Geoff's face, Marcus had already assumed that the phone call was an urgent matter and it was likely that something had gone wrong, though it wasn't until Krupp barged in that it was clear to the man just how much trouble they were in.

"Admiral Krupp, there-" Geoff immediately began to explain as the Admiral walked right towards him and took the phone from his hands. "Initiate the lockdown, alert the patrol teams and scramble all available assets to intercept them." Krupp ordered into the phone as Higgs agreed and disconnected the call before the Admiral could do so on his own as he turned to Geoff and then Marcus.

"They've found us. It's taken them some time, but they've done it." Krupp remarked with a heavy sigh as he leaned on his desk, the sound of an air raid siren filling the colony outside of his windows as the same LED display screens he used to broadcast his message of uprising began to change to an emergency signal alerting the population to the coming threat.

"We will fight them and win, just as we did before." Geoff added as Marcus looked to him and nodded. "He's right. They won't beat us, we won't let them." Hearing their confidence Krupp grinned a bit and turned to them. "Protect the colonies at all costs. Without our people we are nothing, and you all are their only shield. Now go, and win." He added with a salute as the two did the same and turned to exit the office.

Wasting no time the two ran as fast as they could from their headquarters, making their way outside to an awaiting open-topped military staff car. Utilizing the opened cloth roof, Geoff jumped inside in the passenger's side over the door as Marcus slid across the hood in the fastest path to the driver's seat. "Let's go! Use that police training of yours and get us there fast!" Geoff commanded as Marcus turned to him and grinned. "Buckle up!" The dark skinned man exclaimed as he slammed his foot to the gas, forcing the tires to spin for a moment or two as they tried to catch the pavement before sending the two out into the roadway ahead of the other scrambling military personnel.

Having heard the air raid sirens that rang out across all of the colonies, Tome rushed to Achilles' docks, wasting no time to excuse herself from the family dinner she had been attended despite her persistent illness. "What's going on?!" She called out as she quickly floated past a group of their newest pilots who had gathered around their squad leader for guidance. "Lieutenant Himare!" The squad leader called out as he followed Tome towards her Zakum, followed in turn by those who had gathered around them.

"Flight control is reporting they have multiple hostile mobile suits approaching swiftly from the direction of Earth. Per Admiral Krupp we are to scramble and defend the colonies at all costs." The flight leader reported as Tome growled under her breath having hoped that this day would never come. "Then that is what we will do." Tome replied as she drifted to the open cockpit of her Zakum, now nicknamed the Kalani, and stood on the hatch. Turning around she noticed that the whole group of pilots had followed her, causing her a bit of surprise.

"What's wrong? Get to your suits, we have to get out there!" Tome scolded as the man before her nodded with a salute. "Y-Yes ma'am!" He replied as the group scrambled, leaving Tome to enter the Kalani and turn the ignition, pulling her helmet on as the systems before her began to boot up. This would the first time she was in combat since Elise trained her on how to use her Newtype abilities and despite her confidence she held a bit of hesitation in reserve. Millions of lives rested in their shoulders and a failure here would be catastrophic. She needed to fight with everything she had; they all did.

Checking over her systems she froze at the sudden burst of radio traffic that flooded her radio, making it clear that the attack had begun as she listened to the patrol teams being overwhelmed. "We need help, they are slaughtering us!" One of the pilots called, cut off shortly after by the sound of Douglas' sharp voice replying. "Just maintain formation and do your job, reinforcements are coming." He attempted to reassure those already in combat as the sound of his own gunfire echoed in through his microphone.

"Douglas, what's it like out there?" Tome questioned while moving her mobile suit out of its bay and towards the airlock at the end of dock, making sure to grab a primary weapon from the rack as she passed. She could feel pressure in her ears that she had been taught was the sign that a Newtype was near, and since she had grown accustomed to the Newtypes around her, she could tell it was not one of them.

Hearing the woman's voice Douglas smirked, dodging carefully through a mass volley of fire unleashed by the oncoming hordes of Jegans. They were outnumbered nearly three to one, fighting the Federal attack force with a mere twelve patrol mobile suits and a handful of fighters that had gathered with them.

"Not good, we are fighting a force three times our size. Where are the others?" Douglas asked, locking the blade of his heat hawk against an opponent in the process before lifting his machine gun over the two's melee weapons to fire on his enemy as they swiftly evaded. Grunting in dismay the girl walked forward through the air dock and moved to the large open hangar, watching out into space as they lost yet another friendly mobile suit from their new army.

"I'm on my way out and I've got five more with me." She replied, chambering a round into her machinegun as she did so. This was going to be quite the battle and the victor would determine the fate of their nation, one way or another. "Well you might want to hurry, they are overwhelming our forces back here at Pharros and I wouldn't put it past them to attack the colony itself when they are done." Douglas responded as he lit up a Jegan with his machine gun, causing it to explode before being forced to evade a follow up blast from one of its friends.

Swinging around to strike again, the man's attention was brought to a dark colored mobile suit rushing towards him at high speed and a it grew close he could sense to presence of the pilot inside. "And that kid from Cerberus is here!" Douglas added, turning his own mobile suit to meet the threat as the incoming Stark Jesta drew its beam saber and charged into him, the two locking blades as sparks flew from the point of contact.

"You thought you could run after what you and your friends did at Side 3? You are all dead!" Tegan growled as he patched into their communications network once again, bringing Douglas to smirk in defiance. "Awful big talk for a kid that got his ass kicked twice now! I wonder how many dead federals it will take under your command before they stop issuing you soldiers!" The sarcastic pirate replied, infuriating the young Cerberus. "I'll make you pay for that, pirate scum!" Tegan screamed, swinging his blade to strike again as the two descended into a feverish chased against one another, darting in and out of combat over and over again.

Knowing that her suspicions were confirmed and that the Newtype she had sensed was none other than Tegan, Tome wasted not a second more, boosting out of Achilles' dock and into combat; her eyes searching feverishly for the two battling Newtypes as she flew towards Pharros. From Achilles, which was second to last in the line of convoying colonies, the battle seemed distant with only the flashes of explosions and the trails of missiles and mobile suits illuminating the dark void.

"Come on Kalani, let's see what you can do." She whispered to herself as she turned to look at the five ex-federal mobile suits that fell in line behind her. "Stay together and attack where you see fit. We will make it through this together, alright?" She questioned as the flight leader nodded, staring at the confident girl through their communications patch as she boosted off at high speed towards the battle. "You heard her, lets go!" He exclaimed, bringing the Jegan to follow the girl, though she quickly left them behind on her run, approaching and quickly seeing just how much of a disadvantage they truly were at.

"Time to even the odds a bit!" She stated out loud as she targeted the nearest of the enemy units which was part of a wing of several others that were chasing down a single NRZ pilot. "That's no fair, boys!" She taunted as she drew her heat hawk with her free hand and swooped down into the group with her modified Zakum, slashing and hacking an arm from the closest mobile suit as she did so.

"Where did she come from?" The disgruntled pilot questioned as he boosted away from the girl who swung again, relying on his friends to break her attack by opening fire on her with their machine guns, though the young Newtype swiftly evaded the fire with the few rounds that did strike hitting the thick reinforced shoulder pauldrons to no effect. "This must be one of their aces; focus fire on that Zaku!" The group leader commanded; the five suits directed their attention entirely at the speeding girl as she severed the leg from yet another Jegan. "It's called a Zakum and you will have to try harder than that to take me down!" She laughed, dodging the fire as she continued closing in on the leader's Jegan, ramming into it with her shoulder before swinging up with her hawk and striking it directly in the cockpit.

"I-Impossible!" The pilot screamed as the blade made its way through the metal, disintegrating him and disabling the suit, leaving the others shocked. "H-How is she so fast? What is that thing?" One asked as the remaining four scattered to avoid being the next victim in the glow of their lead suit's explosion. Watching the others run, Tome looked to the pilot who she had just saved, the suit they piloted battered but unbroken.

"Are you alright?" She questioned as a young woman replied, alive and well but obviously shaken. "Y-Yes m-ma'am, I'm alright. Thank you." The pilot stated as Tome smiled and looked towards to continuing battle. "Don't thank me. Regroup with your squadron leader and let's win this shit!" Tome replied with a bit of a laugh, keeping true to her upbeat attitude and bringing the wavering pilot to grin, having not expected such words to leave Tome's mouth. "Yes ma'am!"

Continuing her path towards the heart of the battle Tome continued to intercept and attack any threat that made their way towards her, though the skill of her opponents made it clear that this was no ordinary force. "These guys are good." Tome grunted as her Zakum shook violently from a nearby explosion, firing her machine gun at those who fired the round in the process before charging at them with her axe.

Locking blades with the Jegan she slid her hawk down and disabled the beam saber at the base before striking away the suits hand and forcing it to fall back as she chased and peppered it with fire. "That is because they are the 2nd Defense Fleet; some of the most well trained pilots outside of the special forces teams and Londo Bell, and my old unit." Geoff replied with a hint of nostalgia and remorse, knowing that it was highly possible that many of those he had served with still remained in this prestigious fleet.

"You can tell by the blue striping and the insignias in their shoulders." Hearing her commander's voice, Tome watched as both he and Marcus as well as a slew of others joined the fight, flying towards them in the distance as she right away noticed Geoff's new suit; a fully restored Stark Jegan recovered and constructed from parts of the battle of Side 3 that now was painted a green and black striped camouflage pattern. "Oh man, I am sure am glad to see you guys." She huffed as she evaded a rocket fired from a hostile Jegan and moved to further avoid his partner's machine gun fire.

"Well we certainly were not going to leave you out here alone." Marcus added as Tome smiled. "I'm not alone, I have Douglas!" She joked, though the man was unpleased. "Yeah, well I have this fucking idiot, and he is not happy." Douglas replied as he once more locked blades with the Jesta who in turn fired his head Vulcans into the armored head of Douglas' Zakum; the pilot inside leaning the head down to avoid crucial damage to his sensors.

"Where are you?" Tome questioned, looking up as the two separated from one another and began another frantic chase, this time heading for the underside and docking stations at Pharros. "He's heading for the _Raditz_ and I'm pretty sure he is not going to be pleased when he sees it." Douglas replied as he sped after the Stark as fast as he could, though he was having a hard time keeping up with the significantly faster machine. "I don't care what the fuck that is!" Tegan replied, spinning to match against Douglas once more as he weaved in and out of the Zakum's machine gun tracers to close the distance between them.

Knowing that would not be the case if he truly did know what the object they spoke of was, Douglas smirked and once more locked blades with the Federal ace before jabbing the barrel of his machine gun towards the enemy in an attempt to pepper the dark colored machine in large caliber munitions. The attempt failed however as Tegan smashed the magazine from the gun in anger with his free hand and bent the barrel, rendering it useless and forcing the two to break apart once more.

Despite the fact that Tegan showed no interest in the _Samuel Raditz_ , Tome's heart sank all the same, knowing that the ship was intended to be a standing and functional memorial to someone she cared deeply about. "I'm coming to help." She commanded as she broke off her current engagement with a fatal burst of machine gun fire into a Jegan's torso and speed towards Pharros and the _Raditz,_ determined to keep the vengeful boy away from it. "I don't need your help, I can handle it." Douglas growled, unwilling to accept unneeded help from anyone, though Tome in turn was unwilling to allow the matter to continue without her intervention.

"This is not up for debate, _Petty Officer_ Douglas." She replied, taking her rank over her subordinate as he sighed; his suit shaking violently as he caught the tail end of an explosion. "Whatever. Just don't get killed when you didn't need to be here." He replied back in disgust as their opponent listened on. "Leave it to insurrectionist scum to create an unfair fight." Tegan mocked, drawing his machine gun from his side and opening fire at the incoming Kalani, though it was more of a distraction than anything else as Tome easily dodged the fire in her advance.

"You won't get me that easy, Tegan!" She cried out as he both sensed and identified the girl by her voice as the one who had retrieved the body that rat Amaury from his metal coffin. "Well, if it isn't the one who took my prize from me." He taunted, spinning around as he locked blades with the Zakum on his tail; the girl opening fire onto her opponent until proximity dictated a switch to her left-hand melee weapon.

"Your prize? You didn't kill Amaury you moron, he is still alive!" She scolded as he parried her blade away and attempted to strike her, though she predicted the attack and blocked once more. "Alive? I don't believe you for one second. I cut him in half, I saw his blood; heard his screams. Your games won't fool me." Tegan lashed back, kicking the Kalani away as he prepared to fire on her before focusing his attention on the incoming Douglas who had moved to block Tegan from heading any closer towards Pharros.

Swinging his heat hawk in a backhand motion he locked blades with the Jesta just as Tome caught up, forcing Tegan to boost up and away from the two or face a bitter disadvantage while the man still thought about Tome's words. There was no way that he could have survived. He knew what damaged he did to that demonic machine and he heard Amaury's screams and pathetic cries. "Believe what you want, it doesn't change a damn thing!" Douglas growled moving to strike again as Tegan lifted his weapon and struck his Zakum a few times, damaging his left arm as he redirected to avoid the incoming fire.

Narrowing his eyes on the two Zakum's as they regrouped and followed behind him, near one another, Tegan remained silent, formulating his next move as his eyes scanned over the battle around him. More enemy forces were mobilizing for combat and despite their surprise attack and the toll they had taken on the New Republic's forces they had yet to score a decisive blow that would guarantee their victory within the first wave.

Dispensing his full complement of grenades from his waist in an effort to distract his pursuers to little effect, he began to speed his way down the outside structure of the Colony, looking for any opening to get the two separated to even the fight. "Get away from the colony!" Tome growled, swinging her axe down on the frantically maneuvering mobile suit as Tegan huffed. "So persistent and determined to keep me away from this specific colony. Is that because of the people inside? Surely you freaks couldn't care about anyone but yourselves." He taunted as Douglas struggled to keep up; his purely melee loadout following his machine gun's destruction rendering him completely useless.

"Tome I can't get to you two, you are just too fast." Douglas warned as Tome locked weapons with the Jesta and chopped Tegan's ranged weapon in half in the process. "That's fine, go help the others! And take this!" She added in reply, throwing her machine gun into space as she drew her second heat hawk and chased Tegan away as he listened to the conversation. She was a fool if she thought she was going to defeat him on her own and had unknowingly signed her own death warrant.

"Yeah she doesn't need your help. Come get me, little girl." Tegan replied with a sinister grin, increasing his speed away from her wingman as he flew aggressively in and out of various antennas and towers on the outside of the colony, the feet of his suit scraping across Pharros' metal shell. "I'll show you who's the little girl!" Tome growled, hating every second longer she had to suffer this man's presence.

Reaching Tome's machine gun Douglas watched as the two fought back and forth across the colony in the distance with a sigh. She was stubborn and while he was unsure about allowing her to continue on her own without assistance, he knew he wasn't helping her in the least bit. "You better know what you are doing." Douglas called to the girl while taking the machine gun in his hands and turning back to the battle around them.

"Geoff, where do you want me?" He questioned, flying off into the battle as the Colonel and his squadron began their own combat maneuvers, striking out in full force at the mostly intact enemy force. "Wherever you see fit and can fill in. They have the advantage still and our new pilots need assistance. Copy?" Geoff replied as Douglas spotted a handful of NRZ Jegan's engaging against their federal opponents and though they were not struggling entirely moved to assist.

"Roger that." The man replied as he opened fire on an encroaching enemy, striking it several times before the suit exploded into pieces across the sky as Marcus watched from the corner of his eye while reloading his rifle. "These guys really are tough. No wonder why you fly like an ace." He joked as Geoff laughed, knowing the sentiment was intended for him. " _Like_ an ace?" The squad leader replied with a light chuckle as he sped through the hordes of Federal forces, striking out randomly against them every chance he had, knowing that each dent he put into one was an advantage another one of their soldiers would have against them.

"Yeah, _like_ an ace. Your previous records don't count here buddy, this is a whole new organization!" Marcus replied with a smirk as he zeroed his rifle on an unexpecting mobile suit in the distance that was hovering still to fire accurately on their troops. "Infact, by that logic, I probably have more kills than you!" He added as he pulled the trigger and fired his round that flew straight and true into the torso of the hostile Jegan, detonating it's reactor instantly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here." Geoff replied as he sank his beam saber into an enemy Jegan's thigh and brought the blade up and around into the head, severing both the sensor unit and the left arm in the process to disable the suit and render it useless.

With as many mobile suits as there were on the playing field for both sides it was hard to say just who was winning, but with no signs of the enemy carriers their mission would be purely defensive and would continue until their foe was defeated through annihilation or retreat. "We are doing good. Keep the pressure on and don't let up, and make sure to watch each other's back." Geoff instructed over the defense fleet's open radio channel as several pilots cheered and commented on the battle, though it was clear the situation was still undecided and fragile.

Spotting two Jegans that formed together to oppose him, Geoff smirked and drew his beam saber with his free hand, boosting full speed towards the two, grinding his blade into one of their own as he lifted his leg and kicked the other suit away at full speed. "How dare you use our own suit against us, Zeon dog!" The pilot he stood off against snarled, bringing Geoff to break their deadlock and strike again though the other pilot retained some skill and once more parried the attack away with a thunderous crack of energy that illuminated both of their eyes.

"I used this suit long before you were likely even born kid. They should have taught you to never shit talk someone better than you." The more experienced pilot replied while discharging his head Vulcans to force the enemy to evade as he laid chase, giving his opponent little breathing room with his significantly faster suit. Moving in quickly on the pilot's rear Geoff swung his blade and severed both legs from the Jegan before spinning to avoid incoming fire from his partner, desperate to help his wingman out. "Get away from him!" The voice called as the Zeon Stark boosted straight towards him, avoiding the batch of self-propelled grenades the machine let loose to close the distance and spear the suit through the cockpit, destroying the machine in a fiery ball of parts.

Shifting his optical sensor back to the legless Jegan as it fled, Geoff lifted his rifle and discharged two shots, both of which struck and killed the machine. Even though he came from this unit he held not the slightest bit of restraint fighting them, regardless of his personal feelings. He was well aware of what they were capable of and with so much on the line it would be a foolish and egregious error to allow emotion to step in front of his duty to the New Republic. "Tome?" He questioned out loud as he moved to lash out against more of the enemy forces; his eyes looked out towards Pharros as he watched the streams of light chasing each other around the long cylindrical colony. "How are you holding up?"

Crossing her blades and locking them once more against Tegan's beam sabers, Tome grinned; her face dripping with sweat inside of her helmet. She had not been able to land hit on the dark colored machine before her but at the same time neither had he, landing the both of them in a solid tie. "I'm fine; I should have him beat soon!" She replied in a cheery but serious tone, brining Tegan to scowl. He was far from beat, regardless of whatever training she must have undergone of the past few weeks to heighten her Newtype abilities, and her assumption of impending victory was just another example of her immaturity.

"Don't count on it." Tegan replied, breaking his blade free from their hold before striking again to no avail as the girl knocked the blades to the side and kicked the Stark Jesta in the cockpit with her Kalani's large feet, denting the metal substructure. "That machine will not keep you alive forever." The man inside growled and boosted away to avoid any further damage, using his Vulcan weapons to break up the girl's flight path in the process as he headed towards the colony's docks. "It doesn't need to keep me alive forever; just long enough to kill you!" Tome replied angrily as she chased frantically after the man, hacking and slashing her way towards him with every opportunity as he rapidly neared the end of the large metal shaft.

Laughing at her foolish notion once more, Tegan slashed through a point defense at the end of the cylinder and entered the area of Pharros' dock, avoiding the gunfire directed towards before locking his eyes onto a familiar sight; the _Due Diligence_. The appearance of the vessel may have changed but its form could not be confused with any other, infuriating the man as he looked over what was once his mentor's pride and joy, now defaced in the traitorous republic's colors.

"That ship… you… how dare you take that ship as your own!" He exclaimed as he continued to dodge enemy fire while his eyes shot between his opponent and the modified Ra Calium before him, circling around a large piece of ship construction equipment to use it as cover. Opening the covers to the large anti-ship missile pods on his shoulders, he prepared to lock onto the _Diligence_ with the intent to destroy it, boosting out into clear view once he was ready.

"You will not have that ship, I won't let you!" He yelled as he locked onto the vessel and prepared to fire before Tome intervened, determined to save the ship from her enemy's rage. "You won't touch the _Raditz_!" The girl growled as she swooped in and attempted to sever the missile pods from the mobile suit with her heat hawk, though the attempt was blocked. Slamming his shoulder into the Kalani in retaliation, Tegan shuttered as a burst of point defense fire rattled his suit, forcing him to take off away from the docks. With the pestering girl hot on his trail as well as colony's own defenses, there was no way he would be able to line up a clear shot on the battleship, leaving him with only one option.

Spinning along the colony's structure, Tegan boosted at full speed towards the opposite end of long tube, his missiles still primed to strike with the Kalani still on his tail. "I have tried to play Counselor Wright's games and keep your people alive, but from his desk on Earth he cannot see just how lost you all have become." Tegan replied as dodged a swing of Tome's axe and prepared to unleash his strike; his hands shaking as his mind raced through every aspect of what he was about to do.

Wright wished to avoid conflict through catering to the terrorists, hoping that by allowing the amnesty and forgiveness that these uprisings would never happen again, but Tegan knew better. He could see now that these people were too set in their ways to ever be a peaceful people; bred for nothing but war and violence. They could not be allowed to continue to exist in their world, killing and robbing whoever they saw fit, and he alone would have to show the Federation the way to rid themselves of this disease, even if Wright did not agree. They needed to be stopped and it would be he who did so, once and for all!

"Lost? The Federation has caused this; they are the ones who are lost." Tome replied after listened to the man's nearly psychotic rambling, unsure what to make of it. Attempting once more to hit the Jesta as she locked on and fired both guided missiles in her shoulders though Tegan simply shot them down, causing damage to the colony in the process.

Seeing pieces of the colony's outer shell floating out into space Tome gasped, doing her best to keep up with the swift moving target in front of her. "Stop using the colonies as cover, those people are innocent!" Tome called out in anger as Tegan grinned, spotting the end of the colony in the distance.

"No one is innocent. They signed their allegiance and with it the forfeiture of their humanity." The man preached in a shaky and uncertain voice as his pursuer's eyes widened. What did that mean? Did he plan to attack and destroy the colony? What was wrong with him? "You are wrong Tegan! That colony is filled with the innocent; men, women and children. Young and old. People who just want to be free. They have nothing to do with this!" Tome again tried to reason with the lone Cerberus operative, though at his silence and appearance of the colony's large nuclear pulse engines in the distance sent a deep chilling up her spine, knowing now what he planned to do.

"Marcus, shoot Tegan! He is going to destroy Pharros' engines!" The girl cried out as she did everything to speed up her mobile suit, pushing the Kalani as well as her body to unsafe levels as she desperately tried to crest the summit of the colony cylinder before him. If she had to she could use her own mobile suit as a shield, saving the colony from destruction in exchange for her life; something she would rather not do, but if was what had to be done, she would gladly lay down her life to save countless others. "Marcus!"

Across the battlefield Marcus heard the girl's cry and spun around to face Pharros, watching as the two raced across the colony's surface towards. "I hear you, I hear you!" Marcus replied as he zoomed in on the Jesta. "I see him." Marcus replied but just as Marcus pulled the trigger Tegan evaded, having sensed the intent to do him harm even at such a distance. "Fuck!" Marcus exclaimed as he watched his own round damage the colony, forcing him to reevaluate his attacks.

"Tome I can't keep firing on him. I'll be the one blowing up the colony!" Hearing that she was on her own, Tome grunted in disbelief. He couldn't be allowed to destroy Pharros, millions would die, and it was now or never to stop him! Nearing the end of the colony Tegan grinned to himself as his suit locked onto the main engine structure of the colony and prepared to fire, knowing that the second he cleared the edge he would had a direct shot into the reactors that powered the lumbering behemoth.

"Captain Trevelyn!" A voice called out in the dark as Tegan winced in annoyance, knowing the voice to be that of the pilot assigned by Margaret to be his second in command. "What is it now?!" He snapped as his eye remained locked to his target; the octagonal target lock indicators hovering over the long engine shaft six times over before him. "Captain Pierce's orders were specifically to avoid civilian casualties. Targeting the colony will be in direct violation of that command." The pilot warned as Tegan scoffed, narrowing his eyes.

"Pierce is a fool blinded by the sudo-knightley demeanor of the pacifist Wright. You have all been betrayed by his administration and that of which he too follows." Tegan replied, arming the missiles as the pilot once more tried to reason with him. "I have orders to shoot you down should you try to deviated from the assigned tasks and rules of engagement; this is your final warning!" He responded as Tegan now looked to his side at the pilot who approached in the distance, his weapon drawn and ready to fire as the man scoffed in disgust, but it was too late to argue. His moment of truth was upon him, and he had decided which path to take.

"It's time!" He called out as his hands finally stopped shaking, breaking his intense concentration as he shot past the colony into space and wasted not a single moment before he pulled the trigger, sending the six anti-ship missiles he held on his shoulders sailing into the reactor, penetrating deep into the housing before detonating as Tome watch in pure horror.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Tome cried out as she slammed into his Stark with her suit, sending him flying out into space as her left eye instantly filled with blood from the massive and sudden loss of momentum as they shifted to watch the engine housing split from the colony and ignite into flame as the colony end did the same, burning bright even in the void of space. "NO!" She screamed as tears formed in her eyes, watching the fire creep into the living space of the colony, slowly consuming the city as calls for help from inside began to flood their communications network.

"Mayday, mayday! Pharros Colony has been hit! We've lost primary drive functions and the south end of the colony is engulfed in fire! We need help, now!" An unknown voice cried as another issued a damage report stating that the fire had engulfed the twelve city blocks closest to the reactor entrance and was swiftly spreading and overwhelming the local fire brigade; the colony was lost and mandatory evacuation was being issued to all citizens. She failed to protect Pharros from harm and now it would burn until nothing remained, killing all who could not escape in time.

"NO!" She yelled once more as she sobbed, feeling her heart tearing in two once again. Sensing Tegan above her as he attempted to fly back towards she believed was still his troops, she gripped her controls tightly and turned her full attention back to him as her psychic presence heightened. "TEGAN!" She screamed, boosting towards the hostile mobile suit at full speed in the bright light of the burning colony, preparing to fight to the death to bring him to justice. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"


	30. Chapter 30: Retribution

Pulling his arms through the sleeves on his flight suit before zipping it up over his tank top, Amaury watched Dr. Emerson enter the room and once more begin scolding him for his decision to join the battle beginning outside. "I'm telling you kid you are not ready. Your body isn't healed; you are going to hurt yourself." He argued as the boy watched him from the corner of his eyes, listening to what he had to say though it wouldn't sway his decision.

"I have to get out there. They need me." Amaury replied, adjusting his pants leg around his prosthetic mount so that his modified suit would seal correctly. From the sounds of the initial reports they were outnumbered and caught off guard so every pilot they could muster was needed. "You haven't even had the chance to test the SICOS yet, and you are certainly not going to have a fun time flying with that leg of yours. Then what?" The doctor question as Amaury stared at him with a blank face.

He was right, he had not tested the SICOS nor had he attempted to fly with his artificial leg, but he could not just sit by and watch his friends fight and die. "You said I was ready to use the SICOS though, right?" The boy questioned much to Emerson's dismay as the man sighed. "I said you would he ready to _test_ the SICOS, not just plug it in and fly a combat mission. There are many variables that need to be adjusted and confirmed for your safety." He attempted to explain as the boy remained silent, looking down at the gloves in his hands for a moment.

As much as he hated to admit it the crazy old man was right, but not out of concern for himself. If he was to die because of the SICOS or lack thereof he knew Carina would be overcome with grief and the thought of leaving her alone for even a second made him sick to his stomach. Would they be alright without him? Could he sit this one out?

Opening his mouth to admit that he was going to take Emerson's advice and remain out of the battle a group of soldiers ran past the medical examination room, broadcasting their radio loudly as they did so. "Did you hear that?" One asked as they jogged, their boots squeaking on the freshly mopped floors of the hospital. "Yeah, Pharros got hit; those damn feds are attacking colonies now?!" The other questioned, bringing Amaury's eyes back to Emerson's with a renewed conviction to fly, silently pulling his gloves on as Emerson sighed again.

"You really are the most stubborn man I have ever met." The doctor replied having heard the radio in the hallway, knowing well that it was likely to solidify his wavering mind in the wrong direction.

Following behind Amaury as he walked at his fastest pace from the hospital room and through the hallways the Doctor continued to try and reason with the pilot, using whatever power he had to bring him to his senses. "Why won't you listen to me? I honestly don't want to have to tell your woman just exactly why you are dead! You know what that will do to her, don't you?" He asked as Amaury's eyes once more shifted towards the stout man, unpleased with what he was attempting to do.

"I will not die. Not again." The boy replied with hint of annoyance as the doctor grunted. "How do you know? You are playing with things way outside of your understanding." He replied as Amaury remained silent, turning back towards the doors in front of him as they exited to the hospital grounds where people scattered left and right amongst the overhead siren and warning systems.

Even if the fight had not come to Dresden it was evident that the population of the NRZ as a whole was on edge as soldiers and armed civilian populace alike boarded several open back military trucks destined for the docks to repel any attempt by the Federation to land forces there. Wasting little time to see if Emerson was following, Amaury approached one of the vehicles where he was immediately greeted with a salute from the man in charge of loading the occupants; his new flight suit unknowingly bearing his recently acquired rank on the sleeve though he put little attention or effort into his formalities.

"Is this truck going to the docks?" He questioned bluntly just to make sure as the soldier nodded. "Yes sir, and there is plenty of room if you wish to join us." The soldier replied as Amaury nodded and attempted to board the truck using both grab handles to lift himself up. Nearing the top of his climb his artificial leg slipped, almost falling back to the ground had it not been for the quick reaction of the two nearest people on the truck who grabbed the boy under his arms and lifted him to the bed of the vehicle.

Nodding to thank them Amaury turned back around to the sound of Emerson's incoherent grumbling, surprised to see the doctor climbing his own way up onto the vehicle. "Get your hands off of me, I will do it myself!" He argued as he attempted to pull himself up, though he was having a difficult time doing so.

"What are you doing?" Amaury asked as Emerson grunted, straining himself to reach the next step on the back of the vehicle. "Well if you are really set in your stupid, foolish, idiotic ways, I guess I should show you how to turn the damn thing on at least." Emerson complained, bringing Amaury to grin a tiny bit to himself, knowing he had won the smallest part of his battle at last. Unwilling to wait any longer for him to climb on his own the boarding officer below pushed the man up as Amaury grabbed his arm and brought him completely onboard regardless of his wishes as Emerson huffed in frustration.

"Dammit it all, I said I could do it!" The man growled as he sat down, amusing the others who silently laughed before the convoy of vehicles began to move out, rounding the corner out of the hospital parking lot to head down the freeway towards the docks. Remaining silent Amaury watched the hospital shrink in size the further they drove from it, his mind in overdrive. Was this the right decision? What little choice did he have?

"Alright now, careful. Don't slam me into the deck!" Latty growled as two Jegans slowly lowered her mobile suit onto the deck of the _Bastille_ , steaming towards the battle for the first time following its severe damage during the liberation of Side 3. Having little selection in available mobile suits, Latty was forced to take one of the most unfit suits they had for space combat; one of the two modified RTX-65 Guntanks that Reo Ishutari had designed prior to his death.

Used to great effectiveness during the liberation inside of the colonies, the Guntank possessed no actual thrusters for space combat and as such was being chained to the deck of the _Bastille_ to operate as turreted weapon in the absence of the ship's missile launcher, which was destroyed by Cousland's sneak attack.

"How much longer? We are almost into the fray." The impatient woman asked as the two Jegans secured her down, watching the battle erupting in the distance as well as the burning colony that floated aimlessly through space. "Almost done, one more chain." One of the two pilot's remarked as they finished securing the suit down before boosting away from the suit to allow it free range of motion before flying off to join the battle on their own.

She had never piloted this specific suit before and would need a brief understanding of its function if she was going to use it to any serious degree of effectiveness. Activating all subsystems she started with the simplest of tasks, rotating the suit's head unit as well as its arms and torso, getting a feel for its rotation and reaction capability.

Turning to her armament panel on her left inside the repositioned cockpit, which had been moved from the previous head to deep inside of the Torso for maximum protection, she couldn't help but grin. The machine was armed to the teeth; sporting a pair cannons, two missile pods, a quad-barreled machine gun on the right arm and a medium caliber anti-MS rifle built into the lower chassis.

"Well this is a surprise." Latty remarked, taking in the sheer amount of firepower with an overwhelming sense of power. Most of the mobile suits she had piloted before lacked the armament of this behemoth and though she had grown accustomed to faster, more agile vehicles, her heart always desired to be the heavy hitter.

Bringing her eyes back to the battle as she retained her grin, she pulled the targeting module to her right in front of her and looked through the optics, spotting the swarms of hostile mobile suits that locked into combat over and over again against their own as well as the burning colony in the backdrop. " _Bastille_ , can you hear me?" She questioned out loud, testing her link to the bridge, receiving a reply a minute later.

"Yes ma'am, we can hear you. Where would you like to go?" The acting captain of the vessel asked as the woman chuckled to herself, pulling the Plexiglas visor down on her helmet in the process. "Forward, right into them. Let's give them a run for their money."

Enraged by the damage dealt to Pharros, Geoff continued to swarm into the hordes of hostile forces, though his demeanor had gone from simply striking out against targets of opportunity to eliminating each target with extreme prejudice; tearing torso from legs with his beam saber and rifle.

"God damnit!" He growled as he finished off yet another pilot, panting heavily as he did so. This was surreal; attacking a civilian target, and for what? Vengeance? A demoralizing fear factor? This was not the Federation he knew growing up and only cemented his justification for having left the navy in the first place. How could they have allowed this to occur? Was Tegan running the show? If that were the case then the remaining colonies would be in danger as well. Detecting a hostile mobile suit behind him the man spun around, just as the suit exploded from a direct shot from Marcus' rifle.

Looking to his wingman through their communications patch Geoff nodded in appreciation before moving onto his next victim, keeping a close eye both on Pharros as well as Tome, who darted across the sky in chase of the man who had committed the worst war crime any of them had ever seen. She had not said a single word since her initial cry to bring Tegan to justice, worrying Geoff, who could already see the similarities between her mental state and that exhibited by Amaury during the liberation which had almost lead to his death. He needed to assist her, but with the situation at hand he could not risk letting their troops fight against the more experienced Federal force alone.

"Flight control, how many enemy signatures are there? And allied as well?" He questioned, opening fire on an incoming grenade with his Vulcans before chasing after the suit that launched it "Twenty three, Colonel, with only eighteen of our suits remaining active. They are more than likely bringing reinforcements to the front as we speak, so be prepared!" The NRZ flight controller replied, reading the different identified and unidentified signal sources off from the screen in front of him as Geoff growled in anger at the situation at hand.

"We need to even these odds or we are going to be in for a tough fight when that second wave shows up." He stated aloud as he caught up to his enemy and sliced through the machine's armor, severing the suit's arm before it turned and locked blades with the Stark to prevent another strike.

"Way ahead of you." A female voice called out only moments after Geoff spoke, bringing both him and Marcus to lift their heads in curiosity, turning towards a new signal source that entered their operating area a second prior. "Latty?" Geoff asked as the suit he locked blades with exploded, struck by a round fired from what appeared to be the _Bastille_. Knowing the vessel possessed no such weapon, he zoomed in on it and spotted what had fired the faithful shot; one of Reo's tanks chained down to the hull of the cruiser.

From his viewpoint above Douglas shifted his eyes to the same signal source after hearing her name, a small grin appearing across his features in response. "I thought I sensed you. What took you so long?" He questioned, bringing Latty to huff as she focused in on another target in the distance. "Keep your pants on, I was trying to find a suit and this was all I could find. Tanks typically don't work well in space." She replied, firing against though this time the target evaded, likely aware of the arrival of the heavy assault mobile suit and the ship it travelled on.

"Whatever." Douglas replied with a sigh, reloading his machine gun before opening fire on another batch of targets, doing his best to slowly whittle down the opposition in anticipation of a renewed enemy attack.

Seeing just exactly what Latty meant brought Marcus to laugh and shake his head; the sight of a guntank literally strapped to the deck of their cruise quite funny to the somewhat childish man. "Well I'll be damned. That was the last thing I expected to see here." He stated as Latty turned her attention to the marksman, recognizing the voice to belong to the young black male who accompanied Amaury in the infirmary when she attempted to strike the boy with the cup, though her attention quickly turned to Geoff as he too spoke.

"If it is stupid and works, it's not stupid. Glad you are here. Think you can really even the odds a bit?" He questioned as the redhead grinned and nodded, turning back to the nearest formation of mobile suits that fought against their own. "I sure can." She replied, locking on to the swarm of suits individually to ensure she did not accidentally target one of their own before unleashing all ten of her missiles at once; the stream of tracing smoke filling the void as the ordinance dashed through space and into the designated targets, destroying five of the ten while the others escaped with moderate to light damage.

"That'll do it, good job." Geoff chuckled in seeing the effectiveness of her opening attack as the girl aimed down on a disabled but still active Jegan left from her assault, though Marcus fired the killing blow moments before she would have. "Hey!" She exclaimed as Marcus laughed, chambering another round into his rifle. "Sorry, I wasn't sure if you were going to finish that or not." The man teased before focusing on the battle between Tegan and Tome; the two's frequent clashes lighting up the dark sky like lightning as their blades met.

Striking out blow after blow against her now mortal enemy, Tome said not a single word, focused entirely on the battle at hand and the thought of removing the man who had committed such a heinous crime against their people from existence. Grinding her axes against the dual sabers of her foe, her eyes grew wide as she screamed and broke one axe free to strike the Jesta, though Tegan simply moved to block the attack once more.

"You won't get me like that." He taunted, grinding his teeth as he too remained focused solely on the battle at hand, though he now found himself without ally; his second in command having notified all Federal forces that he was no longer in command and had been labelled a criminal, no matter how much he tried to explain his prime reasoning. "Your rage is just another sign of your lack of humanity; you will all burn; just like those inside of that doomed sarcophagus of a space station!" Tegan added as Tome once more growled out in anger, boosting back and then forward again in a series of several rapid strikes.

She hated the fact that they seemed to be more than an even match for one another, explaining why it seemed no single Zeon Newtype had been able to best the Federal ace. "Shut your fucking mouth!" Tome cried out in anger as she struck the Jesta in the cockpit with her knee following a break in their power struggle, prompting the two to resume chase once more through the slew of Federal and NRZ forces, followed closely behind by the leader of the Federal forces as he attempted to complete his orders to stop and bring Tegan to justice.

Seeing that he now had two tails Tegan grunted under his breath in anger. Margaret would be likely be rather upset with him when she arrived, but once she saw the true threat at hand, surely she too would understand his actions. "Lieutenant Rodi, you are making a grave mistake." Tegan called to his second pursuer, trying to reason with the more noble side of the veteran pilot.

"I understand you have orders, but don't you understand that this is the only way? Eradicating them will guarantee us peace. Don't you wish for your children to grow up safe in a world free of war? These people are stopping that reality from coming true." He continued calmly in an apathetic voice as the man following behind him winced in disgust.

"That is your personal belief, Trevelyn. What you've done was not only a direct violation of orders but a disgusting display of your disregard for the lives of anyone but yourself. It is ideals like yours and that of that late Admiral Cousland of yours that creates these conflicts and further drives the wedge between the Earth and her colonies. You should be the one burning, not them." Rodi replied as Tegan scowled, causing him to cut his thrust, dodge a blow from Tome as she rushed by, redirect and sly straight towards the acting Federal captain, who in anticipation drew his own beam saber.

"Do not blame this on me or Cousland; we are the defenders of humanity against those who lack it!" Tegan snarled as he spun around and locked both blades against the Jegan's single one, forcing the pilot inside to take special precautions to avoid losing the interaction. "The only one devoid of humanity here is you, Cerberus!" Rodi yelled back, discharging all of his grenades into the Jesta before him, doing some damage but not enough to stop the enemy suit from rushing forwards towards him.

Reacting quickly Rodi lifted his shield to block the blow, losing only the shield and his suit's left forearm as opposed to his life. "Bastard!" He exclaimed as he boosted back and away from the man, who found himself forced to turn and block a dual sling of Tome's axes. "I'm your opponent Tegan, not him!" She proclaimed as the pilot smirked and boosted back and away before spinning to strike the Jegan approaching behind him; blocking two separate directions with his beam sabers. A three way fight was certainly a first for him, but he held little interest in maintaining this little triangle for long.

"What a joke." Tegan stated as he discharged his head weapons once more at the Jegan who evaded the attack, not wanting to suffer any more damage as the Cerberus seized the opportunity to attack the Kalani, severing the machine's left shoulder pauldron with his blade. Grunting in disbelief that she would have allowed such a cheap blow to land Tome retaliated, swinging her first blade into the Jesta's heat hawk as the other appeared to do the same thing, but as it approached she quickly redirected and landed onto the same blade as the first, grinding down at full speed until it reached the saber's hilt; severing it from the Jesta's hand as well as the machine's pointer and middle fingers before he could stop it.

Angered, Tegan slammed what remained of his suit's left hand into Tome's cockpit, bending the hatch to the point that the cabin could no longer maintain pressurization from the gaps in the door seal. "You mother fucker!" Tome cursed as her suit's alarms began to blare, signaling that the environment was not safe outside of her helmet. Protocol dictated that she return to a dock immediately but given the situation that was not going to happen.

Instead she gathered her senses and blocked another strike form the Jesta and pressed forward with her attack, chasing Tegan as he sped across the sky in an attempt to delay his attackers. If he could hold on until Margaret arrived he would no longer be hunted by his own men and they could finish off this pathetic excuse for a spacefaring nation once and for all.

Floating up to the open hatch of the Scarlet Glint, Carina nervously gripped at Amaury's jacket in the cold hangar, knowing that the situation outside had reached horrendous new heights. It didn't take long for nearly everyone in the New Republic to learn of the plight of Pharros and as she spoke several ships were being prepared to assist in the evacuation of the citizens of the doomed colony, leaving her little time to be angry or upset as she planned to board one of those ships to assist wherever she could.

There was no work to be done here on Dresden as the damaged mobile suits were being directed to Achilles as its dock yards were far more superior to than those on Dresden and she could no longer stand and listen to Pharros' cries for help. "Everything is ready, you are free to launch. Be careful out there, okay?" Carina asked with an apprehensive smile as she landed on the open hatch; the pilot of the red suit looking up to her with a blank face.

"Thank you, Carina." The woman replied to what she dare say was her friend as she closed the face shield on her helmet and prepared to launch, waiting until the girl had cleared the cockpit door before closing it. Backing away as the cockpit hatch closed Carina made her away from the suit, knowing that the Elise was eager to get out into the fight.

The battle outside had been raging for nearly forty five minutes by now and it had taken almost that long to finish preparations for the Glint to take its first flight since undergoing repair, and as such needed to be refilled with both coolant and propellant as they had both been drained from the machine for maintenance.

Watching with the rest of the crew as Elise lifted the suit from the floor gently with her thrusters and navigated out into the lane of travel, Carina couldn't help but hold her breath and worry about how many were going to die today, both in battle and the burning colony. Would they attack another colony? They were already struggling to assist those on Pharros, there was no way they could handle another crisis of that scale.

And even worse, the last she had heard Tome was challenging Tegan alone, forcing her stomach to twist into a knot, though with Elise's entry to the battle it was possible that would soon change. As the doors to the airlock closed and prepared to release Elise's mobile suit to the unpressurized section of the facility, Carina turned around to gather her helmet from her workstation and almost immediately spotted Amaury as he approached her makeshift office from the opposite direction.

"Amaury!" She called out as she floated towards him and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck as soon as she could reach, clearly shaken over what was occurring around them. "Did Elise launch?" Amaury asked as he held onto her waist, planning to keep their embrace going as long as she needed though at his words she stepped back and pointed to the airlock. "You just missed her. She's been dying to get out there since the attack started. _He's_ out there." Carina replied in reference to Tegan as Amaury stared, wincing a bit as he remembered the loss of his leg at that man's hand.

Noticing now that he was wearing his flight suit and likely intended to fly again she froze; her eyes unable to look away as they remembered what happened during his last battle. Was he really going to return so soon? "Are you going out there too?" She questioned with sad eyes as he returned the stare, switching back and forth between her green orbs.

"I… I don't know. Emerson says I'm not ready, but…" Amaury replied, unsure what to say. He wanted to fight so badly, especially knowing that they were attacking the colonies, but he couldn't shake the thought of what his death would do to his love. "No. No he is not." Emerson cut in, floating towards the two though he seemed to be a slight bit out of breath from the walk to where the gravity began to cut out. "He should not be flying, but trying to tell him that is like drawing blood from a stone; impossible." The doctor added, bringing a small grin to Carina's face. She knew it wasn't stubbornness for the sake of being stubborn, but because he wanted to help fight the enemy who now threatened every one of their lives.

"Try living with him." She joked as Amaury began to speak but stopped as a flight crewman floated over to them and waved for Carina to follow. "Major Hughes, the ship is ready. We have to go now." He stated as the girl looked to them and then back to Amaury, biting her lip as the boy's face grew concerned and she began to sense his worry. "I have to help, Amaury." Carina stated as she tried to smile despite the fact that she could now sense the worry flushing through Amaury's mind. "I can't sit here and watch them burn, I have to help." She added as she swallowed nervously, afraid of what he might say.

After a moment of staring Amaury looked down at the ground below their floating feet. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. There are others..." He finally replied as Carina smiled, taking both of Amaury's hands in hers. "And you don't have to go out there and fight, but yet you are going to. Why? Because you are worried about our friends; the same reason I have to go help those stuck on Pharros." She whispered in reply as their eyes met once more, forcing him to bite his lip.

"I won't stop you. Just… promise me you will come back to me, just like the last time." Amaury whispered back, catching her a bit off guard as she blushed beneath the bit of machine grease on her cheeks; her heart accelerating at the fact that he remembered. "Of course I promise, but only if you do too. And I want that deal upfront; you can't make me wait again." She replied in turn as Amaury nodded.

"I promise." He replied as she smiled and slid her hands up his arm's to his cheeks, cupping them in her palms as she pressed her lips to his for a good few seconds before breaking their connection and staring into his eyes. "I love you, my Amaury. More than you will ever understand." She stated, bringing the boy's face to darken as he finally smiled a tiny bit. "I love you too, my Carina." He replied, holding her hand as she turned to float away until he could no longer keep it.

Pulling his hand to his chest the boy watched as she donned her helmet and floated to the nearest airlock with a group of other volunteers destined for Pharros, and in his mind he couldn't help but become overburdened with worry. Would she be alright? Would he ever see her again? Even as she moved further away she could still sense the worry her lover expressed, saddening her despite her determination to help.

Watching the two stare at each other until she was forced to enter the airlock, Emerson cleared his throat, bringing Amaury's attention back to reality. "Are you going to stand there making googly eyes all day or are you going to pilot this machine?" He questioned as Amaury started at him for a brief moment before looking up to the Jaeger. Its repairs were completed and he had become somewhat familiar with the upgrades Carina installed during his time with her the day before, so all he needed to figure out was how to use the SICOS. Without saying anything the boy ascended up to the open hatch as Emerson followed behind, grumbling under his breath at the boy's lack of response.

Coming to a stop at the hatch Amaury wasted no time entering inside of the cockpit for the first time in weeks as even he wasn't allowed inside while Carina installed the new hardware though it mostly looked the same save for a few odds and ends, including the cable hanging from the wall behind his seat. "Yeah that's it. She installed it right, at least on the outside. Better hope she hooked everything up right on the inside though, or it will fry your brain like an egg." The doctor stated as he forced his way inside the cramped space and spotted the cable. "She installed it right." Amaury snapped back, unhappy with the man's lack of faith in Carina's work; work that had kept him alive this far and would continue to do so.

"Alright, calm yourself. Sit down, strap in and fire it up." Emerson ordered as the boy did as instructed, pulling his helmet on his head after noticing the cutout for the port on the back of his neck. With a deep breath Amaury turned over the Jaeger's ignition; the machine hesitant to start at first though after a moment it resumed normal operating parameters and stabilized with an appropriate dull hum. Turning his attention back to Emerson he watched as the man took the end of the cable in his hands and inspected the attachment point that would connect into his head carefully, blowing dust off of it in the process as precautionary measure.

"Now I'm going to place this in your port. Because this is the first time I will do it, but you will normally being doing this yourself." He stated as he climbed to the side of the seat, unlocked Amaury's port cover and opened the two metal doors that protected the inside. "Are you ready? It's gonna feel weird, to say the least." Emerson asked to which the boy nodded, staring at the doctor from the corner of his eye before closing them tightly at the agonizing insertion of the cable.

Involuntarily tightening his back, Amaury leaned forward as the prongs locked in, sending a sharp pain through his body as he grunted and gasped for a breath. "See, I told you." The doctor replied to his panting as Amaury relaxed and his eyes once more looked up to the man, a cold sweat already running down his face. "Is… is that it?" He questioned as Emerson huffed. "No. It's in, but it's not on. On your right you will see a control box with a lever. You turn it on by pulling the lever, and off by doing the same in the opposite direction. After that, its on, and the rest is up to you." Emerson explained as he turned to leave the cockpit before stopping.

"Oh, and don't ever attempt to unplug it without turning it off first. Bad things will happen. Good luck." He stated before floating out of the cockpit and down towards the ground as Amaury took a deep breath and closed his hatch, staring at the switch on the wall the whole time. He would try and pilot first without the SICOS, but if that proved too hard with his leg, he would have no choice but to activate the mechanism and hope for the best.

Reaching over and linking his helmet to the frantic radio traffic outside he began to slowly move forward, taking each step at a time just as he had while learning to walk on his new leg, though this was significantly easier. Sighing in relief at the lack of difficulty the boy attempted to stop and turn towards the exit, but failed to lift the pedal in time with his bad leg, forcing him to walk into the opposite wall with a large thud and the screech of bending catwalk above, which was luckily unoccupied.

"Hangar deck to Jaeger, you alright there?" A voice from below asked over the local hangar frequency, causing the boy to become rather embarrassed. He had never had an incident like this before and doing so at such a crucial time was not alright. "Yeah, I'm okay, just… clear out of my way and open the airlock doors." The boy replied, laughing to himself as he slowly turned and continued carefully on his journey to exit the hangar, praying he avoided any more collisions with immobile objects.

Continuing to ignore the multiple warning signs inside of her Kalani, Tome remained on Tegan's tail, striking to no major avail each opportunity she had. "Get back here!" She screamed in frustration as the Stark dodged yet another strike and spun around, gunning directly towards the girl at high speed.

"If you say so!" Tegan snarled, locking blades as once more they fought one another, filling the sky with electricity and sparks. To all who watched it seemed the battle would never end; a match between two equally skilled opponents who simply could not gain the upper hand long enough to make practical use of it while a third tailed behind and attempted to escape the sidelines. Watching the duo's fierce battle Rodi remained still, trying to make out which flashing ball of light was Tegan and which was the Zeon Newtype who opposed him.

Never before had he seen two Newtypes fight, though just as the stories had told, it was as impressive as it was scary. The two fought like animals, screaming out and growling with the fury and desire to smite the other down at each strike; intervening would be suicide. Taking the opportunity that was presented in this momentary break from battle, Rodi turned to his communications panel and tuned to a secured frequency he shared with no one else but Captain Pierce.

"Captain, can you hear me?" He questioned as a static heavy voice answered on the other end, barely audible from the severe Minovsky particle interference in the area. "Rodi, what is going on out there? I can see from here that a colony has been set on fire. What is the fucking meaning of this?!" Pierce screamed as Rodi winced; both from the ferociousness in his commanding officer's voice as well as the rough hit he witnessed delivered the NRZ pilot's back by Tegan's shoulder.

"It was Tegan, ma'am. He's gone rogue and attacked a colony. I've been trying to bring him down but I just can't and there is another Newtype here fighting him that is making the task even more difficult." Rodi replied much to Pierce's dismay. "What is the status of the battle as a whole?" She questioned next as the young lieutenant looked around at their forces that were quickly faltering and likely demoralized by the obvious infighting taking place between their two commanding officers.

"Not good, our first wave is nearing fifty percent combat effectiveness while their own forces teeter slightly above that, from what I can see. Looks like we are going to need you after all." The man replied back as Tegan and Tome separate briefly only to return back to fighting a moment later in the same vicious fashion. "I copy. We are fifteen minutes out, leave Tegan be for the time being. I will handle him myself." Pierce instructed from her position at the head of the second wave before returning to their radio frequency to signal her two wingmen, each of which piloted a ReZEL similar to hers. "Ash, Chalmer, on me. We've got a situation. The rest of you proceed as planned." She ordered before pushing her suit to maximum speed, separating the three from the rest of the formation as they rocketed towards the New Republic.

Shaking violently in his cockpit from a blow that finally landed against him, Tegan groaned under his breath in anger. He suffered only superficial damage up until this point, but her last strike was lucky enough to damage one of the external leg boosters added with the Stark components, reducing his agility. "For a piece of space trash you really do put up a good fight, much better than those two dead friends of yours." Tegan panted, bringing his suit to a rest as his one eye grew bloody from the ferocity of their fight, while both of Tome's did the same.

"I told you, Amaury isn't dead. You are a fucking idiot." Tome snarled having heard Sam's name denounced as she too struggled to catch her breath, the both drifting apart from one another in a mutual but temporary break in the fighting. She couldn't keep going on like this; her body ached and her vision was tinted the slightest bit of red, leading to believe that her eyes were suffering the same affliction Amaury's frequently did.

"And I told you I don't believe that for one bit. Though, I did enjoy my revenge on the demon. I only wish I could have killed the other as well, that way I would have been responsible for killing all of your original pilots once I kill you and the others, though I would hardly call him a pilot. Sam was his name, wasn't it? He was more like target practice." Tegan mocked the dead boy as Tome ground her teeth, thrusting from a standstill to maximum speed in a split second in rage.

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT SAM THAT WAY!" She cried, lifting both her blades to strike as Tegan blocked them both; one with his blade and the other as he jammed his crippled hand into the Kalani's arm joint, preventing it from swinging any further down as she gasped. "You care too much about those dead space rats, you know that?" He questioned an evil fashion as he kneed her cockpit door harshly, further damaging the hatch in the process as the alarms inside began to scream louder. He had her right where he wanted her; trapped and distraught.

"And from the way it sounds, you even loved the one, didn't you?" He taunted again, kneeing the door once again as this time it became slightly ajar; one of the hydraulic pistons failing and spraying fluid out into space. "Stop it!" Tome cried out as bloody tears formed in her eyes, attempting to boost backwards to escape the man's grasp though he simply came with her. "Did I strike a nerve?" He again asked followed by another strike, almost tearing the door from its mount that time, making it clear that another strike would severe the only defense she had against certain death at his hands.

"I'm going to fucking kill you Tegan, I swear! You will pay for what you did to Sam and Amaury, for all the suffering you put Carina through as well as countless others, I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU FUCKING PAY!" The girl screamed at the topic of her lungs, though as the Cerberus drew his knee back once more, he held no fear in her threats. "Pathetic." He laughed, throwing his leg forward to strike before he found himself compelled to evade an incoming blast of beam weapon fire that would have proved fatal would it not have been for his senses.

Having not paid much attention to his surroundings throughout his fight against Tome he failed to detect any new threat to himself, but now as he concentrated he knew immediately who it was. "You!" He growled, turning his head directly towards the apple red mobile suit that flew at maximum speed towards him.

"Did you really think I would just disappear without claiming your soul?" Elise taunted as she fire another bolt of energy towards the Stark, which dodged and immediately flew out to greet the enemy suit with a swing of his beam saber to which the woman promptly responded. "Why must you always interfere in my fucking business?!" Tegan snarled as he rapidly collided is saber to hers in a fury of strikes, dodging another blast of energy as she attempted to sneak a bolt in.

"Because you keep trying to kill my blood, that's why!" Elise replied, confusing those who listened in on the conversation, though the silently sobbing girl inside of the battered Kalani knew what she meant; Newtypes. Forcing Tegan to regroup and evade the shots from the Glint, Elise laid chase, blasting at him several more times without a successful hit, though more than anything it was designed to distract the man from her injured student. "Are you alright Tome?" Elise called as Tome continued to pant heavily, resisting the urge to vomit from what could only be a plethora of issues all at once.

"I am fine. Thank you for helping me out." She replied as Elise turned her attention back to the frantic and enraged Cerberus before her. "Get back to Dresden, you've done enough." She instructed as Tome gasped. "No way; I started this fight, I will end it." Tome argued back as Elise stared at her through their communication's patch, then looked back to Tegan on her monitor. "If you insist." Elise replied as she opened fire again, taking note of the lone armless Jegan that seemed to simply observe the fight rather than participate although she paid it no mind.

Gathering herself quickly, Tome grabbed her controls once more and boosted forward towards the two fighters above, prepping her dual heat hawks to once more chop into her prey, knowing now that with Elise they firmly held the upper hand against their nemesis and it was only a matter of time before his demise.

Having escorted the wing of rescue shuttles being dispatched to evacuate the citizens of Pharros, Amaury caught his first glimpse of the burning colony in the distance as they closed in on the battlefield, turning his stomach into a knot. "God…" He groaned through clenched teeth as he felt his blood boiling. How could the Federation have done this? This was worse than the Dresden Massacre; far worse.

"I'm splitting off for now, alright? If you get into trouble, let me know." Amaury stated to the shuttle convoy's flight leader as they neared the combat zone, knowing that the shuttles would attempt to skirt around the area of operations to avoid being targeted and his presence would heighten that risk. "Roger that. Good luck out there." The leader replied as Amaury banked cautiously away from the group, keeping an eye on the shuttle he sensed Carina in as he did so. The situation was unpredictable and dangerous, and although they had been in similar situations before, this seemed different.

Adjusting himself to head towards the center of the battle he completed one more systems check on his mobile suit, double checking to make sure his machine gun was loaded and that an effective link was established to his entire armament. There wasn't much left to choose from in Dresden's dry dock so for now he would make due with the Jaeger's customized machine gun, his heat hawk and the two sturmfausts that were mounted to the forearms of the machine; it's newest addition to offensive armament.

Shifting his course slightly he found himself spinning, reminding him once more that his leg was still acting up and that he would be forced to use the SICOS no matter what, at least for the time being.

Zooming at high speed towards the combat zone it didn't take long for the green suit to catch the attention of both friend and foe, some of which sensed the boy's presence as he drew near. "Well well, look who returned from the grave." Latty hummed, watching as the suit flew above the _Bastille_ following another volley of fire from her cannons, bringing those not actively fighting Tegan to turn in look at who she spoke to as Marcus smiled.

"You really couldn't just sit back on let us handle this, could you?" Marcus joked, knowing very well that Amaury was not supposed to be flying yet, though he couldn't deny his help would be greatly appreciated, especially since they were unsure how many more enemies were heading their way. "I'm not going to let you fight without me." Amaury replied as Geoff chuckled, still facing off against what had to have been a veteran Federal pilot.

"Well, I'm not complaining. Right about now I regret having sent Aye and his crew forward to Hagen on recon duty, and I think the return of the Green Demon is just what we needed." He replied, making sure to say it loud and clear so that everyone on the battlefield knew, including their enemies.

As intended, word of the fabled mobile suit spread through both the ranks of the remaining NRZ forces as well as those of their Federal adversaries, reaching Tegan's ears as he flew way above the battle to lure Elise and Tome away from the two clashing armies. The Green Demon? It couldn't be. At this distance it was impossible to see such a small object through the interference and hard to sense anything, but there was something there, though he couldn't tell if it truly was that wretched boy or one of the others.

Sensing his distraction Elise struck out, attempting to severe one of the machine's feet though Tegan retracted it up in time to avoid the blow and struck back, locking their blades together. "What's the matter Tegan, afraid of ghosts?" Elise mocked in a cynical tone as Tegan narrowed his eyes on the mobile suit before him, taking notice to the changes in its design that likely went hand in hand with its repair. "I fear nothing." Tegan replied with a continued skepticism, knowing she referred to the boy he thought he had killed weeks ago. Either they had all coordinated this conversation to distract him or the rat really did survive, and as much as he hated to believe their lies they all seemed quite convinced in their story. Still, he would not take the chance that this truly wasn't a ploy without concrete proof as soon he would have achieved two more Newtype kills; an opportunity he couldn't pass.

Just as Tegan heard Geoff's taunt about the green mobile suit so did Lieutenant Rodi who's attention immediately shifted out towards the colonies, zooming in on the only non-rescue shuttle signal he could find entering the battlefield to find just that; a modified green mobile suit from the One Year War. He had been present during Tegan's debriefing of this battle of Side 3, which he assumed to have been mostly lies, but now it seemed that at least the tale of this mobile suit and its pilot was true.

"I guess you were not lying through your teeth about everything after all." Rodi called out to Tegan to probe his interests in the mobile suit as he began to make his way towards it. Up until now his enemy had been hard to reach and too focused on his own opponent to face justice, but with this undead legend present, Rodi saw an opening to lure the traitor back down to his reach so that he could face him.

Hearing Rodi's taunt, Tegan looked back down to the battlefield below, still too far away to visualize anything other than explosions and gunfire; his eyes widening as yet another person mentioned the damned suit. "Although he looks rather alive and well for a dead demon. I guess you forgot to mention the part about letting him live, huh?" Rodi added as he continued to lay his trap, heading straight towards the suit in question which up until this point remained on a shaky path towards the conflict.

"I'm not going to fall for your tricks Rodi. Using these fools to finish a fight you are too weak to end yourself is pathetic." Tegan replied in an effort to shrug the notion though Rodi knew he was getting to the man and would soon have him right where he wanted him. "Fine, don't believe me. I'll kill him myself." Rodi added as he accelerated towards the green mobile suit, igniting his beam saber in the process as Tegan grunted in annoyance, fighting the urge to given in to the doubt in the back of his mind to investigate what they spoke of.

Watching the crippled Jegan as it darted towards Amaury, Marcus attempted to take it down, firing several shots at the machine though its skilled pilot simply dodged left and right to avoid the shots. "Dammit. He's still coming at you Amaury. Are you good to fight him?" He asked having watched Amaury's uneasy flight in as Amaury narrowed his eyes on the oncoming enemy, knowing immediately by the markings on the suit that it was some sort of officer and likely a skilled opponent.

"Yeah, I'll get him." He replied as Marcus nodded to himself. "Alright. If you need help let me know." The man added, watching as Amaury changed direction and began to head straight towards his first opponent of the battle. Seeing that the mobile suit had taken his bait, Rodi grinned. "That's right Green Demon, come get me!" He yelled, spinning and slashing into an NRZ Jegan's leg as he rocketed past, aiming to infuriate the enemy pilot to say something. He had no idea if this was the same man Tegan had fought before, but if it was, it would surely trigger a reaction.

"Come on!" He yelled again as Amaury growled, in fact angered by his strike against his ally, though he did not say a word, instead reached up and placed his handle on the switch that controlled the SICOS connection. He would not win this fight with his current control without the machine and he had delated it's activation for long enough. Taking a deep breath and expecting to experience the same feeling he had when Emerson inserted the connection into his neck, Amaury closed his eyes and flipped the switch almost instantly gasping out in pain as a burning bolt of pain shot through his spine; hotter than any fire he had ever felt. Crying out loudly as his body jerked forward in his seat and involuntarily tensed up, his eyes opened wide and began darting around the cockpit as the mono-eye of the suit did the same.

"Amaury!" Marcus called as he watched the Jaeger begin to falter, prompting him to fly towards the boy to defend him, though he was quite a distance away still. What was happening in there? "M-Mar-" He tried to call for help as the world around him was shook violently and grew gray as if he was trying desperately to remain awake while at the same time the power in his suit began to fluctuate rapidly, causing the entire system to go haywire. What had he done? This was what Emerson warned about; this was why he wanted him to gently ease into using the system and now it was surely killing him!

Feeling death approach as his vision became further distorted, the boy couldn't help but become overwhelmed with emotion knowing that Carina would be alone after all, despite yet another promise to return to her. "GUAH!" The boy cried out as he desperately reached forward to grab the SICOS control lever in an attempt to turn it off, though his body could not muster enough strength to do so; the pain spreading rapidly across his body until it became too much for the boy to even breathe, let alone concentrate long enough to formulate a thought. After a moment more his vision failed and he fell silent, blacking out while the Jaeger powered down and began to drift aimlessly through space.

As Amaury began to scream the three Newtypes turned their attention to the boy, unable to concentrate over sudden overbearing projection of the boy's psychic presence that peaked and then disappeared to nothing in less than a few moments. "Amaury?! What happened?!" Tome questioned as she continued to wince in pain from Amaury's aurora, though Elise herself was unsure.

Neither of them were even aware the boy had entered the battlefield, let alone that he was in any kind of trouble. Could this possibly have been because of his SICOS? Did he activate it and somehow overload himself? Was he even alive? "I don't know, I-" Elise began before her attention shot to Tegan as he spoke. "It is true. He is alive." He said in a trance as any hope that the boy was dead faded; erased by the sudden influx of his unforgettable aurora that instantly caused the man to scowl in anger and hatred. How could this have happened? He could have sworn he killed him that day, and if his friends wouldn't have intervened, he likely would have.

"I will change that soon." Tegan added as he attempted to head down towards the battlefield before Elise intervened, knowing that something was wrong. "I don't think so. You are my prey Tegan." Elise stated as their blades arced together once more, preventing his escape and driving the Cerberus further into his angered rage. "Get out of my way!" He growled, breaking her block and striking at her several times rapidly over and over again, trying his best to create an opening to seek his vengeance as Tome approached from behind and attempted to cripple the suit with one of her axes as Tegan avoided the strike and kicked her back. Grunting as she came to a stop she watched the two speed off and rapidly clash together over and over, leaving her behind. With a huff she chased after them, calling down to Marcus in the process as he continued to fly towards Amaury.

"Marcus, what is wrong with Amaury? Is he alright- I can't sense him anymore!" Tome called as the man dodged incoming fire from the remaining Federal forces that now ran interception for their active leader, trying their best to prevent interference in his endeavor. "I don't know what's wrong, he just freaked out all of a sudden! I don't know if it was that thing in his head or what; I'm trying to reach him!" He replied as he watched the Jegan coming closer with it's blade active and ready to strike.

Having watched the erratic behavior exhibited by the Demon before him, Rodi was confused. It seemed as if the pilot had experience some sort of mechanical breakdown, though the screaming would indicate otherwise. Either way the suit now remained motionless and without power, and since his true target had yet to take the bait, he had no choice but to escalate the situation. Having expected Tegan to break free and come running he never intended to actually fight the mobile suit, but it appeared it wasn't enough.

"Looks like I will be the one who slays this demon after all." Rodi commented with a grin as he noticed the machine had yet to recover, leaving it an easy target for him to destroy. "Don't you dare Rodi, that boy is mine!" Tegan snarled as he finally managed to trick Elise and slip out of her reach, heading for the two of them as fast as he could. Allowing him to kill Amaury would mean that the vengeance he so desperately sought would never be satisfied, and that could not be allowed to happen.

"RODI!" Tegan screamed in anger as he zoomed in and watched the man closing the final gap between his suit and his target, preparing to bisect the Jaeger with his saber. "It's too late Tegan! Once I'm done with him, I will bring you to justice!" Rodi replied as he rapidly decelerated and lifted his weapon to strike the fateful blow to Amaury's suit, swinging it down without hesitation.

"NO!" Tegan yelled once more while Rodi laughed for a split second before freezing in surprise as the Jaeger's hand swiftly reached up and grabbed the Jegan's remaining wrist, holding back the attack.

"What?!" The pilot screamed in anger as the eye on the machine in front of him illuminated and shifted rapidly towards him in a cold stare, sending a sharp tinge of fear through Rodi's body. Seeing that the Jaeger had begun to move again Marcus brought his advance to a halt and hovered in place, watching as the Jegan tried unsuccessfully to break free from Amaury's grasp.

"Amaury?" Marcus asked to ensure his friend was alright as inside the suit the boy slowly grinned, blood running from his nose as the droplets floated inside of his helmet and splattered against the face shield. "I'm alright." The wide-eyed boy replied as he tightened his grip on his enemy's wrist, bending and distorting the metal as he gained a feel for his new connection.

It was incredible. He was able to instruct the Jaeger with thought alone, and although the feeling was strange, it also felt oddly natural; as if the suit was merely an extension of his own body. Turning his eyes back towards Rodi's Jegan the Jaeger's eye followed his, bringing the Federal pilot to gasp. How could he have caught his attack like that? Did that antique have a Psycommu? It was the only way he could think of that would allow the machine to respond in such a way.

As if sensing his fear, Amaury grinned wider and crushed Rodi's wrist entirely, forcing the machine to lose grip on its beam saber as the weapon deactivated and floated off into space. "G-Get back!" Rodi growled in a panic as he frantically tugged away from the Green Demon and discharged his head Vulcans in an attempt to escape, knowing that without a main weapon he stood no chance against the machine before him.

"Let go of me!" He commanded again as the boy finally began to move; holding onto his opponent's right arm as he jammed the barrel of his machine gun into the Jegan's waist just below the cockpit hatch. "No, wait-!" Rodi began to plead as Amaury unleashed a long burst into the machine that penetrated into its reactor and caused catastrophic damage, forcing it to exploded moments later as Amaury pushed the machine away; his suit illuminated by the massive fireball.

Remaining still for a brief moment as his eyes scanned over the battlefield, he let loose a hellish cry of anger before bursting forward at maximum speed through Rodi's debris and out towards the invading Federal forces, hell bent on avenging those dying in both combat and on Pharros. He was going to make those responsible pay with their blood, especially Tegan.


	31. Chapter 31: Inferno

With her hands and forehead pressed against one of the windows of their shuttle Carina watched with silent tears as Amaury darted across the battlefield in a fury as she silently cried; an uncontrollable response to what she believed was going to be Amaury's death moments before. She didn't understand what exactly had happened, but judging by the emotions that came from him as his suit lost control and shut down, she knew it was not good. Never before had she felt so much fear and sorrow, and knowing that it was Amaury's emotion that flooded her mind twisted her stomach to the point where had they not been in space she likely would have collapsed to her knees. What happened in there to make him feel such pain, and why did it suddenly stop? Why was he so afraid? Did he pass out? Was it the SICOS, did it do something? Of all of the times where her helmet radio was incompatible with a ship's communication device, why did it have to be now?!

Turning her attention away while Amaury violently executed an enemy mobile suit she focused on Pharros as it grew ever closer; smoke billowing from numerous emergency vents and dissipated quickly out into space. The fire now having consumed nearly half of the colony and at last report less than twenty percent of the entire population had been evacuated, forcing the situation to become more dire by the minute. Their only saving grace remained that a vast majority of vessels in the NRZ's docks had willingly decided to assist in the evacuation efforts, including the freighters that belonged to shipping mogul Emmett Himare; Tome's father. With the Himare Logistics fleet on their way it seemed that not all hope was lost, though it was all a race against the clock at this point. Anyone left on Pharros when the last ship departed would face burning to death or dying in the vacuum of space, both of which made her cringe.

"Miss Hughes, are you alright?" A fellow crew member aboard the vessel asked upon seeing the girls tears as she turned to look to the person who asked; an older woman maybe in her early sixties or a little earlier whom she recognized from passing glances as a worker from the dry dock. "Oh, I'm alright Ma'am, I'm sorry to worry you." Carina replied as the worker shook her head, not buying her act. "You can't fool me, I've been around the block a few times. It's that husband of yours; he's a pilot, isn't he? You are worried about him." She replied as she walked over towards Carina, who now blushed. "M-My husband?" She asked as the woman nodded. "Yes dear, the man you came to work with yesterday and that I've seen you with around town. The handsome one with the brown hair and gentle smile?" The woman replied as Carina's face grew even darker.

"Y-Yeah that's him, b-but…" The girl admitted as she failed to correct the woman, leaving her believe Amaury was in fact her husband. "You are right, I am worried." She added as she looked back outside to the raging battle. Why didn't she say something? Was it because the thought caused an oddly comforting warmth inside of her chest? "Don't worry dear, I'm sure he will be fine and you'll see him again." The woman replied with a smile as she carefully place her hands on Carina's shoulders in a fashion that reminded her of her grandmother, bringing a small smile to her face, though she was originally caught off guard. "I sure hope so." Carina whispered in reply as the woman let go and returned to what she had been doing with a smile, leaving Carina to state back out of the window, watching a light trail dart across the sky in the distance; a light that she knew was Amaury. "I sure hope so."

Grinding his teeth as he slammed his heat hawk into an enemy mobile suit Amaury continued his murderous run, engaging every mobile suit he could with deadly effect; each encounter further allowing him to learn how to sync with his SICOS and the machine it was attached to. It was scary just how much more control he had over the suit, allowing him to operate individual fingers without predefined command prompts as well as head and joint movements. It was no question why Aye chose to have the SICOS implanted in his brain and it certainly explained his fighting style.

Sensing an approaching contender Amaury shifted his eye towards his new foe as a burst machine gun fire erupted in his direction. Attempting to boost backwards to avoid the strike the Jaeger froze as the SICOS controller attempted to decipher if the command was intended for his body or the machine, forcing Amaury to sacrifice his own weapon to avoid the enemies attack.

"Dammit!" He called as his rifle became riddled with bullets and he regained control of his suit, boosting around a follow up burst to catch the suit launching the attack off guard. "Guah!" The pilot gasped as Amaury heat hawked the suit in the torso, chopping the cockpit hatch from the machine, exposing the pilot inside. Boosting back away from the Jegan's deploying beam saber Amaury shredded the enemy's cockpit with Vulcan fire as the suit drifted off into space without a living pilot; an act that unbeknownst to Amaury was witnessed by his next opponent as he descended upon him at maximum speed with his beam saber ready to strike.

"So you've crawled back from hell one more time, just for me to send you back?!" Tegan called out as Amaury spun around and parried his blade to the side, sensing both the attack and the one launching it at the last possible moment due to its speed and ferocity. Continuing backwards from the speed of the hit, Amaury growled; his eyes wide with hatred as he looked over the dark colored suit before him. It had not been said who exactly attacked the colony, but in his gut he knew it was Tegan. "You son of a bitch! What have you done?!" Amaury snarled in anger as Tegan grinned and, focused out in the distance on the burning colony. "Exterminating those who have lost their humanity." He replied as Amaury screamed again and boosted forward, locking blades with the enemy suit before being shoulder rammed and knocked backwards again.

"I'll fucking kill you!" The boy threatened as the Tegan turned to look at Amaury's fresh kill, centering his attention on the bloodied remains of its pilot as he pulled the beam saber with its hand with his own. "I've been hearing that a lot today, but yet none of you rats seem to be capable of producing such a result. Maybe you can break that cycle." He taunted while placing the second beam saber in his damaged hand before activating it. "You may have lost what remained of your humanity when you were reborn, but you are still a true demon of Zeon; a sin you and all of the others will pay for with their lives."

Bursting forward at full speed as he unleashed another scream Amaury slammed his heat hawk into the first of the beam sabers and swung his right wrist around, aiming and instantly firing his first sturmfaust over the blade at Tegan, who promptly avoided the shot. "Miss!" The Cerberus taunted though it was merely a successful distraction to allow the boy to retrieve a beam saber from mid air as it shot forth from his suit's thigh. Activating the blade he struck again and again until both contenders were forced to back away from one another to avoid a stream of high-energy bolts that rained down on them from above.

"Above!" Elise warned as as heads up while dropping down into their fight and locking blades against the enemy suit shortly before Tome did the same, tying up both of Tegan's blades for a moment before he boosted back and away from the two girls. "Why must you constantly interfere?!" He questioned in anger as he fired his Vulcans at the pursuing Glint as Tome took the opportunity to check on Amaury but upon seeing the damage dealt to the Kalani the boy asked first, establishing a visual patch in their communications. "Are you alright Tome?" He asked as she turned to him and nodded, doing her best to hide how sore and exhausted she had become after only such a short period of time.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Banged up, but alright. What about you, why were you screaming before?" She responded, unwilling to admit how she really felt as Amaury shook his head and looked back towards his center screen. "When I turned on the SICOS it… did something. I don't know what exactly, but I'm fine now." The boy replied as Tome stared at the cable that ran from his seat to the back of his neck, then to the blood droplets on his visor that he seemed to ignore. "Maybe you should turn it off then." She replied as he sighed and looked down. "If I do that I can't fly well enough to fight. I'm stuck." He answered, bringing her to frown a bit and turn her attention back to the fight as Amaury did the same thing a moment later. "Lets go." He instructed as she nodded and followed behind the boy. "Right."

Finally finishing off the Federal ace he had struggled against for the past twenty minutes or so, Geoff took a deep breath as his eyes frantically scanning across the horizon to check on their forces and his friends. "Tome? Amaury? Douglas? You guys alright?" He asked as he spotted Marcus heading towards the _Bastille_ , which had since made its way across the battlefield towards Pharros, likely moving to assist with the evacuation and provide cover for those forces involved. "We are fine, Elise and Amaury are here. Thanks for the help!" Tome replied sarcastically as Geoff laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. I was a bit tied up, or else I would have been right there with you." He replied noticing that the majority of the fighting had died down, though it was a hollow victory as more both sides had suffered heavy loses and there were more hostile forces on the way. "Douglas?" He asked again after hearing no reply from the man, expressing a bit of worry though it was soon clear he was still alive. "I'm here. Just finishing up some spring cleaning." He stated as he pulled his blade from the cockpit of a mostly dismantled Jegan and watched as his two friends fled, unwilling to fight the deadly Newtype in combat, even with a two-to-one advantage.

"Alright, let's regroup. Douglas come to me, we will rally the remainder of our naval forces and prepare for their second wave. Marcus, keep guard over the evacuation fleet and our newest pilot there. Let the others handle Tegan as I'm sure that they don't need anyone else fighting over who gets to kill the bastard." Geoff joked as he made off to assist the separated groups of their remaining forces just as Marcus touched down on the deck of their former home next to the guntank, bringing Latty's annoyance on himself.

"I don't need a babysitter, I can handle myself." She stated with a stern tone as Marcus' eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa now, I'm just doing what I was told to do. Plus, I don't know if you noticed, but you are a little tied down to one spot." The man replied as the woman before him scoffed. "I've destroyed eight mobile suits and have only been here for half of the battle; I don't think it matters whether I am immobile or not." Latty fired back as Marcus sighed. "Alright fine, you don't need babysitting. I get it."

Dodging another one of Amaury's blows, Tegan punched the machine in the cockpit, knocking him backwards as he pulled his arm back in time to dodge another of Elise's shots from above. Seeing an opportunity as she screamed towards him, the Cerberus reached out and grabbed the barrel of her beam weapon and, while being careful to point it off to the side dragged her in close, blocked her beam saber and kicking her away violently as he did so, forcing her to relinquish control of the weapon. "Fuck!" Elise growled as Tegan smirked, knowing a ranged weapon of this caliber would help him even the odds against the three enemies he faced nearly empty handed.

Replacing his beam saber into his arm to charge he attempted to shoulder the rifle to fire at the recuperating red mobile suit before Tome stepped in and chopped it in half with her axe. Growling in anger Tegan bashed the Kalani's head with the receiver of the weapon as it exploded, knocking her back as her systems flickered and temporarily malfunctioned, opening him to strike with his other blade. "I've got you now!" He yelled before Amaury intervened and stopped the certainly fatal blow with his own saber, keeping the blade at bay long enough for his friend to recover and move away. "Thank you!" Tome called as Amaury went on the offensive, striking with his saber and backhand swing of his axe in a spinning motion while Elise looked on, impressed by his fluid motion and control of the suit while hooked to it. It appeared that in the hands of a Newtype the SICOS operated almost identically to the Psycommu system, though that statement remained unproven.

"This will only end one way; no matter how hard you try or what you do, I will kill you all!" Tegan warned, unleashing his head guns into Amaury's left shoulder armor as a distraction and forcing him to protect his thrusters by evading the fire. "You are fighting three to one Tegan, what chance do you have?" Tome taunted as Elise grinned, the two locking their blades against his once more as he shifted his vision back and forth between the two deadly maidens. "It's only a matter of time before the odds turn against you." He replied as he boosted away from the two who held him at bay in time to avoid a strike from below at the Demon's hands, which he assumed was their plan all along. He had grown tired of the same revolving cycle of cat and mouse that had carried on for over an hour with these people; it needed to end, especially before Pierce and the second wave showed up as there was no telling just how that conversation would play out.

"Alright everyone we are approaching Pharros. Traffic is heavy and our approach will be tight; helmets and seatbelts on." The shuttle pilot announced as they neared their destination, prompting Carina to do as instructed as she pulled her helmet on and closed the visor before moving to the open seat closest to her. From the window she could see the seemingly never ending flow of craft in and out of the colony's vicinity as well as the frantic radio traffic overhead, making it clear just how dire the situation had become. To try and stop the spreading inferno a pair of Zeon Jegans were recalled into the colony and instructed to start destroying structures in an effort to create a firebreak, though eventually the flames would travel underground through the colony's innerworkings to bypass these countermeasures while at the docks a flood of disorganized evacuees continued to flow, stuffing every shuttle to the absolute brim before it departed to one of the colony for offload.

Taking a deep breath of stale air from inside of her helmet Carina closed her eyes and tried to relax, though at every chance she found herself looking back to Amaury's emotion and praying he was alright; especially since she could not call out to him and check. Crossing her arms as her hands clutched at the jacket she wore over her flight suit she remained silent, keep her eyes closed tightly until she felt the shuttle slowing down to enter the docking facilities.

Allowing curiosity to get the better of her she looked out of the window as another shuttle landed to each side of them inside of the airlock, which following the room's pressurization, began to be rushed with those in need of evacuate, including many who were wounded and burned; children included. Looking away from the gruesome sight she unbuckled from her seat and made her way with the others to the rear cargo area as the ramp lowered, instantly greeting them with the overbearing sounds of screaming and the arguing crowds of people as they tried to immediately board their vessel only to be stopped by Pharros' police force who actively trying to organize the evacuation calmly.

"Get back! Get back!" An officer instructed, pushing the crowd of evacuees back as one of them shoved back. "Fuck you man, we are burning alive! We need to get out of here while we still can!" The man yelled as the officer before him grimaced. "We are doing our best but you have to be patient, everyone will get their turn to get out!" He stated as he pushed the man back into line, though the civilian did not like this and swung, striking the officer in the face as he did so, who came to rest slightly askew a few feet from his attacker. "You piece of shit, I told you to get back!" The man boomed as he drew his sidearm from his holster and aimed it directly into the crowd at the one who pushed him, shocking all of those around them as several screamed in fear.

"Stop!" Carina yelled out as she rushed forward from the ramp of the shuttle, floating to a stop next to the police officer as she forced his gun gently down and away from the crowd, all of whom now focused on her. "Everyone just calm down. We are going to get you out of here, okay? I know things are bad, but we need to just… relax for a moment and think about this." She instructed, looking up from the man at the end of the gun to the officer who held it as he slowly holstered the weapon, recognising from the girl's slightly concealed uniform that she was an officer in the New Republic's defense force.

Even without her Newtype abilities she could sense just how high the tension was on Pharros, enough that even the people who lived side by side were at each other's throats. "I'm sorry ma'am." The officer replied with a look of almost shame on his face as the man he had been in the altercation with expressed the same. "Yeah, things are bad, and we are scared." He added as Carina looked to both of them and formed a small smile. "I know, but we are all in this together, and we will get through this." She stated in as confident a tone as possible, bringing them both to nod in agreement just as the head of the evacuation command approached them. "Everything alright over here?" He asked with both hands placed on his equipment belt, his uniform and insignia indicating that he too belonged to the Pharros Police Department and was some sort of officer within their ranks. "Yes sir, just a little disagreement." The original police officer stated as the evacuation head smirked and looked to the people around him.

"Alright, good. Now, let's start getting you all loaded. Group thirty one, you are first; lets go!" He commanded as the civilians assigned to the designated group moved forward in a somewhat orderly fashion onto the shuttle, making sure to allow the elderly and injured access to the actual seats in the passenger cabin rather than forcing them to stand in the cargo bay. "Are you always this calm, Major…?" The head officer asked after seeing her rank insignia as she watched the evacuees, her heart racing as she saw a newborn crying in its father's arms while the man looked back into the crowd, likely searching for the mother of his child. "Carina Hughes. And to be quite honest, it is taking every bit of my will to keep calm. This is all.. horrible. Absolutely horrible." She replied, turning towards the officer as she lifted her helmet visor up to wipe the tears from her eyes, focusing on the officer's name tag which read 'Captain Callahan' in gold letters contrasting bright against the navy blue uniform.

"It is indeed, Major Hughes. A travesty that will go down as yet another of the Federation's mistakes." Callahan stated as he crossed his arms and turned his attention towards the girl beside him as she slowly walked towards a group of video displays across the walls of the docking corridor.

Excusing her way through the crowd of people until she came face to face with one, she watched in horror as the screen displayed a news broadcast covering the evacuation, including live feed of the progressing inferno as it crept towards them. "Is… is it really that bad?" The girl questioned, seeing Captain Callahan approach from behind her as he too watched the broadcast. "Yes. The colony will soon be unable to sustain life." He replied as the two watched the massive firestorm that had become the lower half of the colony despite all efforts to save it.

"Backup systems for the colony's power will soon fail as well, leaving us in the dark with no way to vent the smoke. It is about to become much worse." Callahan continued as Carina grabbed her stomach, seeing now that it was much worse than she could have imagined and that it truly was a race against time. If the power and ventilation systems failed not only would it grow dark but it the air would turn unfit to breath in the matter of minutes from the sheer amount of fire, burning their lungs and subjecting them to suffocation.

"What can I do?" She questioned as she looked up to Callahan in desperation to do whatever she could to help as he pointed to the shuttles. "Help get these people onboard as fast and orderly as possible. Sick and injured sitting, the rest standing in the cargo hold. There isn't a whole lot of time left here for Pharros." He instructed as the girl nodded and sped off to where he pointed, immediately calling out to anyone who needed help boarding and upon spotting a young woman with burns, rushed her side to render whatever aid and assistance she could.

Now within visible range of the battlefield below Margaret slowed down and transformed her ReZEL out of its Waverider form, staring in silent horror as she watched the burning colony and the massive efforts of the evacuation fleet to save those trapped inside. "That bastard… I told him to avoid civilian casualties at all costs, and this is how he responds?" She questioned out loud as her two wingmen fell inline beside her and transformed as well. Why would Tegan do this? Did he really seek revenge against these people that badly that he would directly disobey her knowing that it would certainly result in his demise?

"Good god." The wingman known as Ash stated as the other, Chalmer, scanned the battlefield for any sign of either Rodi or the traitor who had suddenly made his way to the top of their wanted list. "I don't see either of them. Federal first wave forces operating in the area, respond! Where is Lieutenant Rodi and the traitor Tegan Trevelyn?" The wingman asked as a voiced called back a second later, audibly broken and in fear for his life. "Lieutenant Chalmer, Lieutenant Rodi has been killed and we've been too preoccupied fighting the remainder of the enemy forces." The voice replied as Pierce's face scowled, turning her attention down to the battleground below.

"Killed by who, Tegan?" She questioned with a snarl, both angered and saddened by the death of a man who had been under her command for years and whom she had trusted with her life. "N-No Ma'am, it's the one Captain Trevelyn spoke of, the Green Demon. He's here, he killed Rodi." The man replied to her question as Margaret once again scoured the battlefield with her eyes while letting out a small wisp of curiosity. The Green Demon? She too had assumed the name was little more than a figment of Tegan's imagination in an attempt to falsify shooting down a named enemy Ace, not a real adversary that would be taking out her officers on the battleground.

"Where did they go? Where is Tegan and this 'Green Demon' now?" She responded as Ash spotted the men she spoke of as well as two others in the distance engaged in a lightning fury of strikes. "I see them, over there." He pinged on her map as she spun and looked out in the distance at the streams of clashing light. "Hold on a few minutes longer, reinforcements are coming. We can win this." She instructed before both she and her wingmen transformed back to their Mobile Armor forms and darted off at maximum speed towards Tegan and his foes.

"Colonel Walker, three extremely fast mobile suits have entered the A-O and are heading towards Tome, Elise and Amaury!" The New Republic's flight control called out as the signatures suddenly appeared before him on his radar, flying straight through the battlefield towards the trio of NRZ fighters as fast as possible. Hearing the flight control operator as his own suit alerted him to the approaching threat, Geoff spun to focus on them as the three ReZELs rocketed past, almost bringing the Colonel to gasp at the realization of who lead the pack in her blue striped ReZEL; Captain Margaret Pierce.

Having served nearly a decade alongside her, three years of which was directly under her as her subordinate, he was well aware of what the woman was capable of as a pilot, worrying him exponentially. "Of course it's her." He growled as he attempted to take off after her though at the flight controllers call back he stopped. "Sir we are picking up more hostiles approaching, looks like twenty more Federation mobile suits." He reported, bringing the leader to turn towards the direction of the initial attack as from the void came the twenty suits he spoke of.

With these newcomers the Federation's strength nearly doubled and once more outnumbered the Republic's forces drastically, especially factoring in the fact that many of their remaining mobile suits had been heavily battered by the nearly two hour fight. "Fuck!" He exclaimed as he turned back to Pierce and her entourage, knowing that while his friends would need help he couldn't let the forces under his command fight this battle alone. Paused with indecision Douglas called to him, reloading his last magazine onto his machine gun and coming to a stop beside Geoff in the process.

"Well Colonel, what is the plan?" He questioned as Geoff shifted his vision to the Zakum beside him, noting that it too had been battered severely. "Same as before. We remain with the defense force." Geoff replied as both he and Douglas adjusted their course towards the oncoming enemies and darted off, calling out to their embattled Newtypes. "Elise? Tome? Amaury, can you hear me? You have three mobile suits moving towards you and fast! Don't underestimate them, they are the best the 2nd Fleet has to offer!" He warned, hoping the trio remained in range through the heavy Minovsky interference taking place from the battle's casualties as he himself charged once more into the fray.

Once more clashing together against their opponent Tome blocked Tegan's blades while allowed Amaury to swing around and strike his back, severing one of the wings from his thruster unit before being smashed out of the way by the Stark's knee as spun to melee the machine. Moving quickly the Cerberus lifted his blade to strike the boy down though Elise intervene and prevented the strike, further infuriating the increasingly agitated man even further. "I've had enough of this!" He snarled as he crossed his own blades and caused them to arc in a display of anger as the three floated around him, spread evenly so that they contained him in.

Hearing the growing desperation in his voice Elise laughed and held her shielded blade out to the side in her own taunt as she looked to Tome through their video connection, panting rapidly from exhaustion. Using her full Newtype abilities was putting quite the strain on her body and it was no surprise that she was as drained as she was, especially since this was her first true test in live combat, and it was clear that the girl nor her machine could continue to keep up much longer at this rate.

Now missing the majority of both shoulder pads and pieces of its skirt armor as well several other bits of damage it remained operational, regardless of the fact that the cockpit door remained barely hanging on. Still, catching Elise's stare, Tome nodded, understanding well what she planned to do. "Then let's end this, once and for all, just you and me Tegan!" Elise yelled as she next turned her attention to her patch to the Jaeger, watching the boy inside stared down their opponent with wide eyes and visibly grinding teeth; an almost feral appearance. She too had noticed the slight blood splatter on his visor, though in the heat of the moment she found herself unconcerned.

With a huff Tegan narrowed his vision on the overly confident blonde woman before him, knowing that what she asked was clearly a trap. They had fought as a team for nearly the entire encounter and there was no reason to believe that would change now, but in her attempted deception did lie an opportunity. "Fine by me; lets go!" He screamed, purposely buying into her trap as he deliberately aimed his hatred and intent solely at the scarlet mobile suit before him, charging forward at his fastest possible speed.

Grinning to herself Elise charged forward as well, lifting her weapon to strike as the two closed the distance and locked blade, but as Tome moved in to strike as part of their plan, Tegan laughed. "Idiots!" He yelled as he instantly shifted all of his attention onto Amaury, boosting at maximum thrust towards the Jaeger at a nearly impossible turn, catching all three of them off guard. "How?!" Elise gasped as Amaury attempted to swing his heat hawk down to block the sudden move but froze; his SICOS attempting to decipher the overloading slew of sudden thoughts.

Unable to evade Amaury grunted in frustration and pain as he forced himself to move, though it was too late to prevent the Stark Jesta from grabbing his suit and pulling him away from the group to face him alone. "You really thought I would trust any honor she put forward?!" Tegan questioned as he pushed the Jaeger away enough to strike, swinging the blade down as Amaury blocked at the last possible moment. "None of you inhuman rats can be trusted! You are all as honest as the space dust you are made of!" He continued as Amaury screamed, pushing his suit and SICOS to the limit to knock Tegan back off of him and follow through with a furious slew of strikes, blasting his for with hit after blocked hit, over and over.

"HONOR?!" Amaury snarled through his teeth, scoring a solid hit on the Stark's heavily dented shoulder armor, tearing it from the machine. What did this man know of honor? He attacked a civilian colony killing innocent men, women and children of all ages; how dare he even mention honor! Listening to Amaury's furious cries and howls, Elise and Tome flew towards the boy, stunned by what had occured as well as the almost primal behaviour their wingman was exhibiting.

"Hold on Amaury, we are coming!" Tome attempted to reach out to the boy as he continued to deliver and exchange minor blows between himself and his foe while Elise remained in thought. She predicted that he planned to strike at her the whole time, how was it possible that he concealed his true intentions? Did he too know how to manipulate his Newtype powers?

Nearing Tegan and Amaury once again Elise suddenly heard her name called through the immense static that had become the fleet's battle transmissions, though it was barely audible "What is he saying?" Tome asked as they suddenly sensed what he spoke up, just as the three ReZELs opened up with their beam rifles. Dodging the fire but unable to return it Elise turned to Tome as she watched the girl avoid several of the bolts before being struck in her Zakum's left arm, severing it completely as the forced caused her to violently recoil. "Tome!" Elise yelled as she spun around and moved in front of the Kalani to block another bolt with her shield, which was coated with a special beam-detering coating.

"Tome, are you alright?!" The woman called as two of the three ReZEL's sped past them and transformed between the girls and Amaury, separating them from their wingmate. Growling under her breath in anger Elise turned towards the third ReZEL as it transformed and aimed its beam rifle at Amaury and Tegan as the two of them continued to lash out at one another violently. "Amaury, watch!" Elise called as the ReZEL fired a fierce salvo down onto the two Newtypes, neither of which seemed to have noticed the oncoming enemy or her attack.

Slamming against one another over and over again the two remained oblivious to the incoming fire until the last second; a blast striking Amaury's Jaeger in the shoulder just as he was about to score a critical hit to the Jesta's torso with his heat hawk. Snarling in rage as he found himself suddenly blown back from the bolt of light that roared over Tegan's shoulder and straight through the armored portion of his left shoulder armor, he barely managed to dodge the slew of follow up shots and directed his flight path towards the attacker.

However, as he began to boost towards her, his left shoulder boosters violently failed from the damage he had received and exploded, sending the craft reeling as Amaury smashed his head into the side console inside of the cockpit. Letting loose a sharp scream of pain as his vision became distorted and grayed the boy quickly did his best to correct his flight, coming to a stop as the ReZEL turned its attention to Tegan, remained hovering between both of them. "I can handle this fight Margaret, you-" Tegan spoke as the woman swiftly lifted her rifle and fired several times at the Cerberus who dodged each shot carefully.

"Shut your mouth!" She boomed, firing several more times before bursting forward towards the Jesta and drawing her beam saber to lock blades with her now adversary. "What are you doing, don't you see this was necessary!? These people are degenerate, subhuman parasites that feed off our kindness and forgiving nature, and because of that we are made to suffer! This is the only solution!" Tegan stated in a confident voice as Pierce deflected him away and opened fire again, forcing the man to once more avoid a volley of fire.

"Council Wright specifically ordered me to give all involved in this matter a chance including you, but I know now that was a foolish choice. For what you've done you will burn, Trevelyn. There is no going back and there is no changing my mind, you are coming with me back to Earth to stand trial for your crimes!" Margaret replied in a stern voice as she continued to lock on and open fire upon her foe as Elise watched on in confusion, listening curiously to their conversation as her two wingmen remained still, staring her down. Had it not been the Federation's goal to destroy the colonies? If not that would imply Tegan acted on his own, proving just how dangerous and unstable he really was.

"Tome, are you alright?" Elise asked again as the girl finally replied after what seemed like forever, adjusting her suit to face towards the fight. "Y-Yeah, I'm alright." Tome replied as she looked out to her left arm, torn off at the shoulder joint. "I can keep going." She added, unwilling to admit that she's had enough as one of the two ReZELs before them scoffed. "With your suit like that it might just be best if you stay down." Ash warned as Elise's eyes shifted between the two of them. It was clear that they were there for the sole purpose of keeping both Tome and herself from intervening in the third's fight, which she assumed was their leader. "I'll stay down when I am down, not a moment sooner!" Tome snarled. As battered and exhausted as she was, she refused to be placed on the sidelines, no matter what.

With concern Elise looked to her through their camera, knowing that she was not in the best shape and that perhaps retreat was a more viable option for her at the moment, though she would not deny that her fighting spirit continued to impress her. "Easy." She instructed, turning back to the two blue ReZELs and their striped leader in the distance, who now faced off against Tegan as Amaury remained still. "What about you Amaury, are you alright?" She asked as she watched the boy stare forward in a trance; his eyes fixated forward at his main camera screen as the world continued to shake and fluctuate, leaving her to believe that his SICOS was doing something again. What was going on?

"F-Fuck…" He mumbled to himself as he tried to shakily articulate his fingers, bringing both his own and the Jaeger's to do so despite the fact that he continued not to see correctly. Why was this happening? At first he believed it was something to do with his first time connecting to the machine, but that was not the case now. Was it because he hit his head? Was the connection possibly loose, causing these issues? Slowly reaching his hand up the boy tried to feel his SICOS port but froze at the sound call of his name, but not from the radio; from inside of his machine.

" _Amaury?"_ The voice called to him, bringing him to freeze and look to his left where he could have sworn the voice came from despite the fact that he knew nobody was there. "D-Dad?" He questioned, shifting his wide eyes around the cockpit Amaury remained on edge. It had to be his father, or what he believed to have been him in the afterlife. There was no mistaking that voice. As he continued to look around in a bit of panic he heard yet another whisper, though this time it was not that of his father, it was Delacout.

" _I see you, boy!"_ The voice cried out as Amaury visibly recoiled, spinning the machine to look around him in preparation for Delacout to attack him from any direction; the memory of their battle flooding through his mind as his ears rang loudly. "D-Delacout you son of a bitch, w-where are you?!" The boy growled as Elise raised an eyebrow. She had thought she heard him whisper something relevant to his father but in hearing the deceased Cerberus leader's name she grew concerned now for his well being as well.

"What are you talking about? Delacout is dead, you killed him weeks ago." The woman questioned as the boy's eyes continued to flicker rapidly around space. What was wrong with him? Did he really not remember? "Are you okay?" Tome asked next, concerned that he was having some kind of breakdown. Between the screaming and the feral behavior he was beginning to scare her, and now he was panicking over someone that no longer existed. "I-I heard him, he's here!" Amaury replied with fright as Tegan listened from above, infuriated to even hear his brother's name come from either of their mouths.

Assuming the boy was intending to mock the memory of his brother, Tegan broke from his fight with Captain Pierce and headed back towards the Jaeger as it continued to remain in place. "Shut your mouth; don't you dare talk about my brother!" Tegan called out as he flew down, only to be intercepted by the ReZEL on his tail. "Your fight with him is over Tegan, as is your sick war game aimed at revenge. Submit to me or I will shoot you down!" Margaret ordered as her ReZEL spun around in front of him in its mobile armor form and slammed into him, knocking him back as she transformed back into a mobile suit and engaged him again.

"Get out of my way!" Tegan barked in reply as their sabers clashed once more, the sound of his voice screaming across the radio channel bringing Amaury's eyes to snap onto him in an instant. "TEGAN!" He growled as the world suddenly resumed all color and the ringing dissipated, replaced by rage as he boosted at his current maximum towards the two with both weapons ready to strike. Hearing the boy's cry and spotting his oncoming mobile suit Margaret turned her attention towards the Jaeger and lifted her rifle to fire, but by the time she aimed down he had already closed the distance.

Pushing the long barrel of her beam rifle to the side with his heat hawk's head he swung his beam saber down onto the ReZEL; his blade blocked by the quick reflexes of his opponent as she diverted her weapon from Tegan to the bloodthirsty rebel pilot. "MOVE!" The boy snarled as he pressed his weapon down onto Margaret as hard as he could. Seemingly unphased the woman jettisoned her beam rifle with a light laugh before grabbing ahold of the Jaeger's axe wielding arm at the wrist, holding it at bay while she spoke.

"So you are the one who killed Rodi, eh? The rumored 'Green Demon' of the New Republic. Heh, you are little more than a teenager. How could an experienced pilot like Rodi be killed so easily?" She questioned in an attempt to antagonize the boy before her who seemed to care little about fighting her. "I SAID MOVE!" He continued to scream at the top of his lungs as once more the world shook and grayed out temporarily for a moment, filling his mind with the sounds of gunfire and explosions despite the fact that there were none directly around them.

Grabbing at his head as it began to ring again he winced, though the pain only further angered him, causing him to lash out at the enemy mobile suit before him in a flurry of rapid strikes; each of which was successfully intercepted and parried away. "A bit of a temper on you." The woman taunted as Amaury continued to attack while taking full advantage of his SICOS to strike with fluid, human like motions, even going as far as to frequently elbow and knee at the ReZEL in a furious rage, though the experienced pilot managed to keep herself from being struck critically.

Seizing the brief opportunity to strike down the 2nd Fleet's leader Tegan burst forward towards her with both his beam sabers active, but was forced to evade several bursts of energy from Ash as he flew towards him in Waverider form. "Two against one? That not very fair, Trevelyn." The pilot taunted as he transformed and instantly swung his own blade into Tegan's to knock it away. "You are no match for me, you are throwing your life away!" Tegan warned the pilot as the two began to duel back and forth; the ReZEL's speed advantage evident by Tegan's difficulty in even lining up swings. "The only one who threw their life away is you. In fact, you threw others lives away because of your greed and like Captain Pierce said, you will burn for it!" Ash replied as he boosted backwards and allowed himself time to fire on Tegan with his rifle, striking him in the left leg and severing it below the knee despite his best efforts to avoid damage.

"Fuck you!" He growled in anger as he spun around and boosted past his enemy towards Pierce and Amaury's power struggle with the ReZEL close behind. He would not be free to fight the demon with Ash on his tail and as much as he hated the thought of killing another loyal Federation pilot, it would have to be done if he was to continue to fight for the survival of their people. Dodging Ash's swing twice more as he quickly gained on him the Cerberus darted towards Margaret's ReZEL, intending to finish off the interfering and hostile commander while she was distracted just as Elise did the same thing. Sensing Amaury's fluctuating psychic state Elise knew she could not wait any longer to assist him and with great haste charged towards the remaining ReZEL in her way, engaging him with her beam saber before Tome joined, knowing what exactly she planned to do.

"Go!" Tome screamed as she held the ReZEL's blade down with her own, acting as a distraction for Elise to break way which she did without hesitation, wasting no time to make her way towards the two Newtypes. Her eyes remaining locked on Tegan's suit she accelerated full speed and lifted her shield up to use at a battering ram. "Oh _Tegan!_ " Elise hummed as approached, bringing the pilot to turn and slam into her, the two locked together as Tegan tried to burn through her shield with his saber, though it proved difficult with the shield's special coating.

"Why must all of you be such a pain in my ass!?" The man growled as he twisted his beam saber to shear a piece of the shield; the pilot inside his red adversary taking special precaution to make sure she remained out of the blade's path. This could continue no longer. His suit was damaged, his enemies grew in number by the minute and as much as it pained him to admit it he knew that he had once more lost. He would never be able to outlast six opponents, especially with a crippled machine. He needed to escape, though what he would do following said escape remained a mystery.

It was possible that in the absence of all leadership back at their fleet he could claim control, stating that Margaret and her command staff had fallen in combat against the New Republic. He knew they stood little chance again the slew of Newtypes the Republic had gathered to fight their treacherous war, so while it was a risky and ambitious plan it could succeed and seemed to be his only course of action.

"You have brought all of this on yourself, don't blame us." Elise replied as she spotted Ash's ReZEL quickly approaching from behind with the intent to strike Tegan, leading her to boost back away from the man as he sensed the attack. Eyes shooting to the side towards his attacker Tegan swung his arm around, thrusting his blade into the ReZEL's chest to the left side of the cockpit, again using his keen senses to an advantage. "I warned you!" Tegan snarled with wide eyes as Ash reached out and grabbed the Stark's arm, severing it with his beam saber quickly in the process as a final action.

Watching his suit's right arm float off into space Tegan retaliated, cutting up into the ReZEL with his remaining saber and destroying it before flying off into space through the resulting explosion on a path towards the Federal fleet. Any thought of remaining in the fight died with the loss of his arm and now there was no choice but to head back to the fleet and initiate his plan of deception. Floating back away from the cloud of smoke and lingering fireball that was Ash's ReZEL Elise's eyes scanned the void for any sign of the man who she was sure would come through to attack her any moment while Margaret watched on from the corner of her eyes in anger, holding back yet another attack from the Green Demon.

"You son of a bitch!" She growled under her breath as she too watched for any sign of Tegan or hint of Ash's survival, though she knew it was nearly impossible that he would have survived such an attack; her eyes darting to Tegan's Jesta flying at full speed towards their carriers in an attempt to escape. "Tegan!" She screamed, turning her attention to the scarlet red mobile suit that lingered in space as it blasted off in pursuit of her prisoner, infuriating her. She would not be the one who brought Tegan to justice, it had to be done by either her or her men. Anyone else would make him a martyr, ratifying his beliefs and showing that such behavior was acceptable.

"Chalmer, get her!" Margaret ordered as she attempted to break free from Amaury's grasp, pushing him back with a rough strike to his machine with her leg before turning to make a break for the distance, though she stopped as Amaury's head hawk slammed into her nearest arm, tearing it from the machine with a roar. "NO!" He screamed as the woman's head spun back to him in frustration at his defiance. "It's over, let it go!" She argued as she spun her left arm around and pointed it towards the boy, striking him with both grenades as he lifted his right forearm up to protect his cockpit; the blast knocking his suit back further into space and allowing the woman to escape, just as the third ReZEL whizzed past her towards Tegan and his follower.

"You okay, ma'am?" Chalmer asked as he watched her damaged mobile suit transform into Waverider mode to keep up with him. "I'm fine. Ash isn't. We need to get Tegan, now." The woman sternly instructed, looking back through her camera at the tumbling Green Demon; his suit seeming to have lost power for a minute before turning back on and looking right to them.

While she had only fought him for a short while she could see how he received that distinct name, fighting with such fury and hatred that he mimicked some sort of devil-like creature. If this was only a taste of what the New Republic had at their disposal then it would appear they truly were much more than a ragtag group of insurgents. With a grin she turned her attention back to those who she chased, following their light trails up and away from the embattled forces below.

Watching the two suits fly off above him as his suit caught its bearings, Amaury cried out in anger as the world again grew dark and fell out of focus; likely a result of the concussive force of the explosion knocking his head back in the seat. " _Are you some kind of hero, Amaury?"_ Sam's voice questioned as Amaury's eyes widened and his breath stammered. "S-S…" He tried to form as his chest heaved forward involuntarily, holding him there with his head back for a brief moment before his muscles relaxed and dropped him back in the seat as he hunched forward.

" _Amaury?"_ Sam asked again as the panicking boy grabbed his helmet in fear, his eyes closed tightly before opening and centering shakily on the fleeing trail of mobile suits. "I'm no hero..." He replied to the apparition out loud as he ground his teeth and prepared to boost at maximum capacity forward towards them before hearing yet another voice. "Amaury?" It asked as the boy prepared to lash out verbally against what was haunting him before the world's color returned and it was clear the voice was real.

"Amaury, can you hear me?" Tome asked as Amaury's eyes shot down to the Kalani as it floated slowly towards him; the sound of pain evident in its pilot's voice though she was more concerned for his own well being. "T-Tome? Are you… a-alright?" He asked, pausing as he winced from a sudden burst of agonizing pain in his spine that disappeared as quickly as it came on. "I… I can't keep fighting. My suit's had it… I've had it." She replied as she came to a stop next to him, clearly showing how battered the Kalani had become, including it's now absent cockpit hatch. Without the hatch he could clearly see her inside of the machine, sitting in her seat with her hand held to her stomach as the other rest on her throttle control.

"I'm sorry, I just can't. It hurts so bad..." She added while fighting back the tears of pain that formed in her eyes. It was killing her to admit that she was finished with her part in this battle but with her body screaming from head to toe including a sharp piercing pain in her stomach, she knew it would be foolish to continue as she would be of no help to anyone. "You… you need to get out of here. I will protect you." The boy replied, his heart still racing in his chest as he looked up to the direction his enemy had fled, bringing Tome to shake her head. She knew he would much rather be chasing after Tegan and she would honestly have to say she wanted the same thing; he needed to pay for what he had done.

"N-No, I'll be alright. You go; Elise needs help." She replied as Amaury stared at her suit and winced as the world grayed and Sam's voice returned. " _And I need you to watch over Tome for me, okay?"_ The voice replayed in his head, instantly forcing him to speak. "No, I promised Sam, I-" He replied before stopping himself, his wide eyes shifting back to hers in their communication patch and then to the floor as Tome's grew with curiosity, allowing her tears to float out into her helmet.

"P-Promised Sam… what?" She questioned as Amaury remained silent, only looking up for a moment before another mobile suit approached from below forcing Amaury to react, though he relaxed a second later when it was clear that the suit belonged to their Colonel himself. "Amaury's right, Tome. Let him take you back so you don't get ambushed. I am going after them to help Elise." Geoff stated as he looked over their mobile suits for a quick second before focusing on Amaury.

"When she is safe form up with Douglas and help the rest of the fleet fight off what remains of the Federal force, understood? They are breaking, I can feel it." He continued as Amaury nodded and moved closer to Tome, watching as Geoff sped off to help their martian friend as Tome did the same for a moment before turning to look at the battered Jaeger, which despite the blast remained widely undamaged by the grenades, save for his right forearm that despite having been reduced to exposed frame in spots remained operational. What did Sam make him promise? It had to do with her and she wanted to know; she _needed_ to know. "Amaury, I…" Tome began as they started to move, watching as Amaury turned to look to her. "I will explain later… I promise. But we need to get you back." He said softly as if nobody else would hear, bringing the girl to nod slowly amongst the twisting knot in her stomach. "I-I'll hold you to that."

Continuing to battle against the encroaching fire, those involved in the evacuation efforts struggled to manage the hordes of refugees constantly flooding into the dock, making it seem as if they were making little if any progress. "This is useless, the crowd just stays the same size. We are getting nowhere!" A volunteer shouted from the crowd as another turned to him and scolded him, disgusted that he would openly say such a thing, resulting in yet another argument that Carina was forced to break up.

"The Himare fleet is almost here, we are doing fine, just keep going!" She called out to quell the two squabbling men, turning to watch through the air lock windows as a large ship approached and touched down in the dock before the large blast doors closed behind it. This was one of the largest vessels that had landed to rescue the citizens of Pharros aside from the _Samuel Raditz_ , which had been in dock for repair following its near destruction during the battle of Side 3 and nearly full of what people its multiple storage bays and dual hangars could handle.

Waiting with the next group of refugees as the dock took what seemed like forever to fill with oxygen, Carina couldn't help but stare up in both surprise and excitement when the ship was revealed to not be a merchant ship, but the _Bastille_ , bringing a small grin to her face. Stepping forward with the evacuation team to begin moving refugees towards the entry points of the ship she spotted two mobiles, including one that walked towards the edge of the bow and looking down at those below, forcing her smile to widen even further when she realized just who it was.

"Marcus!" She called out as she waved, watching the machine's eye narrow and zoom in on her. With his own grin Marcus knelt his Zakum down on the deck of the vessel and opened his hatch, walking out to wave to the girl as she finally managed to establish a connection to the _Bastille_ 's communication network. "I didn't expect to see you here!" Carina called out to the man across the ship's local network the second she knew she was connected, surprising him with the sudden sound of her upbeat voice. "Who else did you expect was keeping this beauty safe?" Marcus asked, turning to look at the Guntank as its vision shifted to him, bringing him to realize that what he said may have been taken the wrong way. "I mean the ship. And Latty is here as well." He quickly added as the woman inside the tank huffed and looked out at all of the people below, taking notice to just how many remained on board the doomed colony.

"There are so many left…" She muttered to herself as Carina's eyes shifted towards her, then back to the people rushing to get aboard the warship. "Yeah, but we… we are trying our best. Power grids throughout the city are failing but the city's emergency responders and maintenance teams are doing what they can." Carina replied while maintaining her smile against the disheartening truth that they had only evacuated little over half of Pharros' population while the inferno that chased them through the streets had nearly a mile or so left to go before they could no longer help anyone inside the main living area anymore; a harrowing reality that seemed more real by the minute.

Turning back to the pilot above her she felt her smile fading, knowing that at this distance it would be impossible for Marcus to see. "How is it out there? Is everyone alright?" She asked, trying not to seem as if her concern for Amaury took precedence over anything else, though it reality she knew anyone else would feel the same about someone they loved.

Knowing what she really meant by her question Marcus shook his head. "We are winning, but at a heavy cost." He replied, looking back to Latty's guntank and then past to the bridge of the huge vessel they had landed tightly inside of what was supposed to be a civilian merchant dock designed for much smaller vessels. "Our mobile suit fleet is likely going to need some serious work after this… though I'm not sure how many pilots survived." He added in a somber tone, his sadness noticeable even at the distance as Carina's hands moved to her heart nervously, unsure what to say. They had only just organized their defense fleet and met these pilots and knowing that they had suffered such loses was heartbreaking, especially not knowing who had lived and who did not.

"Is… is Amaury alright? What about Tome?" She finally asked as Marcus looked down to the tiny woman in the distance with a sigh. "They are both alive, but something weird happened when he first came out. His suit shut down and I think that he blacked out. But he woke up about a minute or so later before I could even reach him. I guess he's alright, but he's barely said anything since then. Anything that wasn't screaming, at least." The man replied as Carina's heart ached. She was relieved that they were okay, but she still found herself worried. He blacked out? It had to have been because of the SICOS, there was no other reason she could think of, and that would mean that the fear and pain she sensed was from it as well. She know that she shouldn't have gone against her better judgment and allowed him to use the system. Who knew what damage could be done to his body and his brain.

"S-Screaming? In pain?" She followed with another question as Marcus shook his head, watching the long lines of people floating to any entry point on the warship they could to get inside. "No. Well maybe some, but mostly it was in anger. He went after Tegan, but even when fighting against the others he seemed to just be in a complete blood-thirsty rage the entire time." Marcus replied once again and at the mention of Tegan's name he could hear the girl gasp under her breath. She knew that Tegan was out there and that once more Amaury would be forced to fight him, but with him like this she became afraid; afraid that this time Tegan would do more than just take his leg.

Looking back up to the _Bastille_ from the floor, she knew that she could no longer remain here. There were more than enough volunteers to help with what remained of the evacuation especially since the Himare ships would soon arrive, and now it felt that where she really needed to be was back on one of the ships she had called home; escorting those she helped save to their temporary new home on Achilles while watching the battle around them with her own eyes. "I'm coming back to Achilles with you." Carina replied after brief silence before looking out towards the evacuation team's command post at Captain Callahan, who she knew she should consult first before making such a decision. Turning to head towards the man she looked back up at Marcus and waved with a smile. "I'll be right back. Don't leave without me!"

Approaching the area of Achilles' dock Amaury remained close to Tome, unwilling to venture too far and risk allowing an enemy suit to take a shot of opportunity against her. They had experienced no resistance on their journey back to her parent colony despite being in the middle of a warzone as most of the Federal forces found themselves heavily engaged by what remained of the battered but yet fully devout New Republic defense fleet, many of which had sworn to fight until the end for their new home.

"Are you still okay?" Amaury asked the quiet girl who remained grasping her stomach with tears in her eyes, though they were not solely from the pain anymore. "I'm alright." Tome replied, watching Amaury flying next to her from the corner of her eye as she did so. She still wanted to know what it was exactly that he promised Sam but despite the fact that he seemed to have calmed down quite a bit since their break from combat she could still tell his demeanor was altered and given the situation at hand she continued to fight the urge to ask.

Hearing the pain in her voice Amaury's eyes shifted to their communication patch, narrowing his vision in her pained appearance before returning back to their destination in the near distance. Little fighting had occurred any further into the convoy past Pharros and as it stood they had a clear path towards the docks save for some evacuation shuttles here and there, prompting Tome to speak again. "I can make it from here if you want to return to the battle, Amaury." She added as the boy shook his head. He has come this far, he would finish the escort. "No. It's okay." He replied in his continued low tone as the girl sighed, looking to the flashing warning signs that illuminated everywhere on her content to alert her to the multiple issues the Kalani was experiencing, knowing that he was looking out for her just incase something were to happen since it would be nearly impossible for her to defend herself like this.

"Are you sure _you_ are okay?" Tome asked next as she realized that she never had the opportunity earlier, though Amaury remained quiet; unsure what the answer to that question was at this point in time. His body felt fine save for a pounding headache that was taking over, and it seemed more than anything that it was his mind that was ailing. Hearing voices, seeing visual distortions and changing colors; what was wrong with him? Even as he thought about it a cold shiver ran up his spine as a sudden flash of gray brought with it another sharp burst of explosions and gunfire, though in closing his eyes tightly he was able to shake the sounds away.

"I'm fine." He replied after a moment, though Tome did not believe him and was preparing a rebuttal before hearing Carina's voice across their chanel for the first time through their entire battle. "Amaury? Tome? Can you hear me?"

Gasping at the sudden surprise of his lover's voice, Amaury's eyes shot out into space, suddenly focusing out towards the steady stream of evacuation ships that moved in between Pharros and Achilles. "Carina?" Tome asked with a big grin as Amaury's wide eyes began to tear up out of nervous reaction alone. "C-Carina?! Where are you, are you okay?!" Amaury's voice questioned as it grew frantic and nervous, further proving Tome's presumption that he was still not himself.

"Yes Amaury, I'm okay! I'm on the _Bastille_." Carina replied with a giggle, her heavy heart lightened by the sudden knowledge that Amaury remained safe. She had once more returned to the bridge of the ship, standing in front of the acting captain of the vessel as she stared out at Achilles in the distance. "I told you I would be alright, don't worry. How is Tome?" She questioned having heard of her battle from Marcus, forcing the beaten girl to smile as well. "I'm alright, but I'm out of the fight. Have my father's ships arrived yet?" Tome questioned as Carina looked out beside her, watching as several large Himare Logistics vessels passed by on their journey to Pharros. The _Bastille_ had since departed the doomed colony and along with the _Samuel Raditz_ and a whole fleet of smaller evacuation shuttles had begun to make its way towards Achilles carrying what to have been nearly six hundred thousand souls between all of the vessels.

"They are just getting here now, but now is better than never." Carina replied as Amaury stopped in place, scanning the fleet from the distance until his eyes focused in the _Bastille_ , bringing him to exhale in relief. She was safe and that was all that mattered. No matter how hard he tried not to worry he was couldn't shake the thought of her from the back of his head. "Carina, I…" The boy began, unsure what he was going to say. That his SICOS was doing something weird? That he was hearing the voices of ghosts? What truly was wrong with him? "I'm… just glad you are safe." He replied as Marcus laughed. "Yeah, she's safe under the care of the best damn pilot in the whole damn fleet!" The man boomed with a thunderous howl as Latty sighed.

"I wouldn't go that far. You are not the only one watching over these people." The woman replied as Amaury closed his eyes; his heart still racing inside of his chest at the sound of his Carina's voice. "Carina…" He whispered to himself, though his small sense of tranquility quickly disappeared at the sound of Latty's voice once again.

"Incoming fire!" She called out, spinning to address the threat as two of the smaller shuttles to their right exploded. "What?! They are attacking the evacuation shuttles?!" Marcus growled as he spotted a group of the remaining Federal forces heading straight towards them, firing in small bursts towards the wings of civilian craft. In horror Carina ran to the communication officers station and pulled his headset from him, quickly tuning to the channel they had recently changed from due to Federal interference.

"Federal attack force this is the NRZ _Bastille_ ; the shuttles and naval vessels you are firing upon are carrying evacuees from the colony Pharros! Cease fire immediately, I repeat, ceasefire!" Hearing the fear in Carina's voice Amaury's eyes shot open as he angled the Jaeger towards the fleet, watching the streams of fire from a distance as they flew into the groups of ships striking and destroying a few more as the attacking foes responded. "NRZ _Bastille_ from acting commanding officer of the 2nd Defense Fleet Lieutenant Lokuta; our orders are to destroy all military craft, and since it seems you have resorted to using your naval vessels in such a way, we have no choice but to act. Civilian lives as shields will not protect you." A voice called out as Carina gasped, her hands shaking as she watched yet another unarmed shuttle go down in flames.

"W-What? No, you can't do this! You can't-" She pleaded as the voice cut her off. "Captain Trevelyn made it clear that the only way we will win this war is by showing as little leniency as possible, and in Captain Pierce's absence we will hold his beliefs as our own. You must pay for those you have killed." The voice boomed once more as a blast rocked the side of the _Bastille,_ knocking Carina away from the controls. "Amaury!" She called out as she caught her balance, bringing Amaury's eyes to narrow on the fleet as the world slowed down and grew dark at the sound of her voice.

"Y-you…" He stuttered, adjusting his mobile suit to head back towards the fleet; his calm, mellow voice replaced by the same demonic, hatred-filled tone he held earlier in the battle as visions of the death and destruction he had wrought since the beginning of their journey filled his view, including Sam's death as well as Carina's body floating out into space. "Y-You…" He stuttered again, gripping his controls tight as his love's voice echoed in his mind; every time she had cried out for him repeating over and over until it became overbearing." _AMAURY!"_ One last reincarnation of her voice called, pushing him past the brink of his sanity as his teeth gnashed together in desire to kill those who were slaughtering the innocent and threatening his love.

"BASTARDS!" He cried out, pushing his controls forward as his suit accelerated suddenly to its current maximum, rushing towards their evacuation fleet to do what he could go stem the tide of death and destruction brought upon them. As his scream reached her ears, Carina turned towards him as she again sensed his fear and pain, as well as his overwhelming hatred; a hatred that both terrified the girl and caused her great sorrow, forcing tears of worry to her eyes once more as she called to him, wishing more than anything that she could ease this pain of his. "Amaury…"


	32. Chapter 32: Memories

"Come on Tegan, you've still got one arm! Why are you running?!" Elise taunted, still in hot pursuit of her prey as he continued to dodge her attacks since he found himself unable to outrun her due to his crippled mobile suit. He could have done with simply losing his arm, but without the suit's leg he could not obtain maximum thrust; a fatal flaw in his risky plan of escape. "You are persistent, I will give you that." Tegan replied in annoyance, spotting the suit from the corner of his eye in the middle of an evasive maneuver to avoid the woman's swing as he cut his thrust and flew back to meet her attack with his own before resuming his evasive action. This repetitive cycle of cat and mouse had carried on for some time and despite not showing it even Elise had grown tired of the game, especially with the encroaching duo of ReZELs on her tail.

"You'll never escape me, even with your friends behind me. Although at the moment they seem like they are not your biggest fans." Elise called back, bringing Tegan to scowl as he fired his head-mounted guns down towards her in sharp bursts in an attempt to damage her suit anyway he could. "They represent the frail and corrupt state of the Federation, displaying just how easy it is for these silver-tongued politicians to trick and bewilder the weak into playing their games. Pierce is just the Councilor's lap dog, and neither she nor her subordinates are my friends." The man added once more as he swung at Elise, who dodged with ease and attempted to strike once more to no avail while listening to his ramble. "I don't know who either of those people are and I couldn't care less. You are the only target in my sights, and before I leave this place I will have your head as my trophy." She huffed in annoyance, reaching out to grab his remaining leg but once again missing due to their conflicting Newtype prowess; growling in anger as Tegan kicked her suit back a bit in response.

"Hunting me for some sick sport only proves my point that you all are nothing but inhuman monsters. You, that kid, all of his friends; every last one of you!" He taunted as Elise redirected and followed once more, dodging a burst of fire from Chalmer's ReZEL in the distance as they rapidly approached. "Big words from such a small brained fool!" Pierce's voice called out, interrupting the two Newtypes and bringing both of their faces to scowl; Elise's for yet another intervention to her fight and Tegan's because now his plan had developed yet another hiccup.

He swore that Demon would have killed both Pierce and Chalmer with relative ease but for some reason that event did not occur and now it seemed once more he would be fighting alone against multiple hostiles, though the most dangerous of which remained the woman in the scarlet mobile suit. Ignoring Margaret's presence for the time being Tegan attempted to manipulate the woman once more. If he could convince her to eliminate the Federal pursuers it would both even the odds and allow him an opportunity to strike at the Newtype while she was distracted; an advantage he desperately needed in his Stark's crippled state.

"Why don't you save yourself the hassle and eliminate my two 'friends' behind us first. I obviously can't escape, you will catch up and we will have this duel to the end that you so desperately seek." The Cerberus questioned to which the woman responded with a sneer, shooting his already damaged leg with her single head Vulcan cannon. "Did you really think I would believe that?" Elise questioned in annoyance as Tegan smirked. "You fell for it before, leaving me free to attack that rat friend of yours." The man replied as he dodged a shot from the Federal ReZel as well and spun to face Elise, locking his blade to hers in yet another brief power struggle before resuming his retreat to the sound of Margaret's voice once again. "Get away from the war criminal, now!" She demanded as she closed in on Elise and transformed her ReZEL into its mobile suit form, bringing her blade down onto the Glint with her remaining hand as the pilot inside blocked with her own.

"He is my kill!" Elise growled as Margaret did the same, parrying her blade off to the side while watching Chalmer fly by and chase after Tegan, firing at him time and time again to keep the traitor distracted. "This is not a game. What Tegan has done is very serious and must be handled by the Naval Administration. Trust me, I would like nothing more than to kill him myself, but you don't understand the negative repercussion that would come from that, especially if it was one of you that killed him." The Federal Captain warned as the two exchanged blows back and forth, trying to reason with the bloodthirsty woman who became more impatient as their fight and conversation carried on.

"This is a war, isn't it? He is my enemy just like you, and I must destroy my enemy." Elise replied as she lifted her suit's propellant tank legs up and smashed them into Margaret's ReZEL in an attempt to shake her from the fight so she could return to hunt Tegan, but the experienced pilot was determined to keep the bloodthirsty woman from escaping her control; dodging and striking back with her saber once more. "You don't get it. Yes, this is war, but is not that simple. Thanks to your little uprising we stand on the brink of a much graver situation." Margaret continued as Elise scowled, growing ever more angry at Margaret concern at keeping Tegan's transgressions an international issue.

"Burning a colony and killing millions isn't grave enough?!" The woman scolded angrily, losing control of her tongue and once more showing just how close to these people she had come. She had always been told throughout her life that all of those who were born and resided in space were of the same blood, but she had also been taught to remain distance and avoid attachment in her assignments; something she had clearly failed to achieve to some degree.

Hearing Tegan's deeds repeated forced Margaret to grimace in disgust. She knew well that what was done could never be justified or explained logically and could certainly never be reversed. It was a travesty both to the Federation and to those they now fought against, and while sympathy was something she had never shown to her enemies she couldn't help but feel the pit in her own stomach growing. "Tegan acted on his own, you know this." Margaret replied in a more somber tone, dodging the fierce blonde's furious swing. She should have known better than to ever trust that rat to do as he was told, and should Wright's orders not been to give him a chance he would still be sitting in a jail cell at this moment instead of attempting to escape.

"It was never supposed to happen like this." She added as Elise's eyes grew wider; their blades slamming down into one another as electricity arced wildly off into space. "Well it did! This is why the Federation will never change, because people like Tegan come into power and want nothing more than to keep those living in space enslaved and kill them when they stand up." Elise growled, staring intently down at the ReZEL through her panoramic cockpit; her eyes illuminated by the screen in a burning passion. "This is why the colonies must learn to grow and fight for their freedom. This is why the Federation must cease to exist. This is why I must continue to fight, and why Tegan must die!" She continued as Margaret struggled to hold back the force that the Scarlet Glint was exhibiting upon her damaged suit.

"You are crazy, just like the boy." Margaret replied through her teeth moments before her suit began to warn her of yet another oncoming mobile suit, forcing her to look up at the oncoming machine as it's pilot spoke. "You have no idea!" The voice called out, bringing Elise's own eyes to narrow on the camouflaged Jegan approaching them. "I know that voice." Margaret stated out loud as Elise's lips slowly formed a small grin.

Having spent plenty of time conversing with her former cellmate she knew the sound of his voice well and though she didn't need help fighting Tegan, she would gladly accept assistance ridding herself of those keeping her from him. "What took you so long?" Elise questioned, bringing Geoff to laugh. "I was a bit busy. Better late than never huh?" The Colonel replied as Margaret's eyes narrowed continued to stare at the damaged suit before her, knowing that same camouflage pattern from her past.

"2nd Lieutenant Geoff Walker, is that you?" The unamused captain questioned as Geoff requested a patch to her communications, appearing upon her screen as she accepted it with a large grin. "That's Colonel Walker now, Margaret." The man replied as a small smirk crept across Margaret's face. " _Captain_ Margaret to you. I should have known that you could never just enjoy your retirement." She stated as he remained floating between her and Elise, his beam saber at the ready as the fact that they had once been friends did not take away from the opposing sides they now stood on. "How could I after what happened on Dresden?" He replied in question, quickly scanning over the Glint to see if she had received any damage or bodily injury.

"You okay Elise?" Geoff asked as the woman inside the scarlet machine huffed. "Yes. I didn't need your help." She responded, though Geoff knew that even if she were injured she wouldn't admit to it. "I don't know, from where I'm standing it sure seems like you could use a hand." He replied with a grin as he looked back to his adversary in his communication's patch as she spoke once again.

"I never thought I would see the day where Geoff Walker betrayed his own. What about me Geoff? Are you going to kill me, too? As I remember it was always me who came out on top, in more ways than one." Margaret stated as Geoff grinned and boosted forward and locked blades with his old friend. "Let's not talk about that right now." He replied as he turned back to Elise once again, who starred with curious intent back at him through their own patch. "If you are going to get Tegan, go now and make it fast. Our window of opportunity is closing quickly." He instructed as Elise continued to watch his facial expression. With the way the woman spoke it was clear to her that she did not mean that their competition was exclusively academic or performance based and that her sly tone would indicate something else, though she was unsure why she was even the slightest bit concerned by this.

Without a word she turned and boosted off to follow Chalmer and Tegan who she could see still fighting back and forth against one another in the distance as Geoff watched her fly away. "Good hunting." He called out, turning back to Margaret as she fought back against him, pushing her blade into his as it neared his suit's head. "You are getting in my way, Geoff. I shouldn't have to explain how important it is that someone like Tegan be brought down by our own ranks and I won't hesitate to take your life if you continue to intervene." The Federal captain warned as the two locked eyes through their channel before Geoff smirked once more and parried her blade to the side and attacked once more. "Well then, kill me!" He replied, challenging her strength as he had done numerous times in the old days as she grinned. "So be it."

Firing what remained of her cannon ammo incoming attackers to disrupt their ranks Latty switched to the anti-mobile suit rifle installed in her guntank's lower half, targeting and opening fire on whatever she could hit as Marcus did the same. "This is insanity! These shuttles are filled with innocent civilians. What are these men thinking?!" She snarled, looking to the Zakum next to her as he reloaded his rifle with its last magazine; his machine's eye shifting to the guntank momentarily before scanning the horizon. It appeared that a major bulk of the remaining Federal attack force was now heading their way, likely to join in scoring a major blow against the Republic by destroying two of the few capital ships in their possession, regardless of the souls on board.

"They don't care, you heard what that Lokuta said. They all are following Tegan's ideology; the Cerberus ideology." The man replied as he shouldered his rifle and fired at a new target as the enemy began to fire back, peppering the hull of the _Bastille_ with small arms fire that while mostly ineffective against the thick armor, forced the two pilots to act. "They are closing in fast. We can't let them damage the hangar, none of those civilians have helmets; they won't stand a chance if we get a hull breach!" Marcus instructed, listening as Latty growled through her teeth and lifted her machine gun arm up towards the attackers. Cerberus was responsible for the destruction of everything she had called home for most of her life, and if these men truly wanted to act like Cerberus, then they would die like them as well.

"You mother fuckers!" She cried as she began to fire out into the distance with all four barrels, focusing for no more than a few rounds on any given target to try and distribute her attacks amongst the enemy force while at the same time the ship's point defense weapons came into range as well, creating a firestorm of point defense fire. "Let 'em have it, don't let them close!" The Zakum pilot screamed as from above Douglas flew into the incoming horde, slashing at an enemy Jegan with his heathawk before spinning to engage another with the machine gun in his other hand. "I've ordered the wounded and crippled mobile suits back to Achilles; most of our defense force is out of commision. It's up to us." He said, avoiding an enemy's beam saber as Latty shot the foe wielding it several times, forcing the suit to explode. Shifting his gaze down to the guntank he nodded before turning to Marcus, who was in the process of giving orders to the acting captain of the warship they stood on.

"Captain, move the _Bastille_ to the flank of the convoy closest to the enemy. We need to protect the _Raditz_ and the other shuttles for any more fire." Marcus instructed as the ship made its way towards his instructed location, just as both Douglas and Latty sensed something, bringing them both to look out towards Achilles and suddenly wince in pain at the psychic distortion being caused by Amaury's approach. "Guah, and him… what is going on? Why is sensing him hurting my head so damn bad?" Latty questioned though Douglas did not reply; pausing only for a moment to watch the suit approach before returning to the battle.

Unlike her he had sensed this before, during the battle of Side 3 when the boy supposedly snapped over the death of his lover. Until that moment he had never experienced such an oppressive feeling from any of the few Newtypes he had encountered before and during his fight against the boy prior to the incident he didn't sense it either. What changed in such a short time span that would create such a monster? What made him such a strong Newtype when he had no knowledge of his own power?

Still shocked by her own reception of the boy's presence, Carina's teary eyes lifted at Douglas and Latty's conversation, watching as the ex-pirate's Zakum looked out into space towards Achilles; her own eyes following its gaze until she too saw the approaching light. "W-What do you mean sensing him hurts?" Carina asked, unable to resist despite the fact that she knew better than to cloud their comms with idle chatter. Hearing her question as she prepared to fire another salvo into the swarm of enemies she held at bay away from the _Bastille_ , Latty continued to wince.

"What I mean is that it _hurts_ to sense him while he's doing his screaming, carrying on… whatever it is he is doing. He's overloading my senses and making it hard to concentrate." She replied, destroying another suit as several rounds struck the armored hull of the Guntank to no avail. "And it's really pissing me off!" The woman added in annoyance amongst Carina's silence, forcing her to speak.

"It's not his fault! I, he… something is wrong!" Carina attempted to defend him despite not knowing exactly what was going on, watching as he came ever closer and released another hellish scream the caused her to fill once again with worry and fear. "What is going on Amaury, why are you acting like this?!" She called out in desperation but Amaury remained silently staring with wide eyes at his nearest duo of foes, unable to hear or comprehend anything being spoken to him; the only voices clear to him coming from within his machine.

" _You shouldn't have come here."_ Delacout's voice again taunted as Amaury's sights zeroed in on an unsuspecting Jegan which was in the middle of reloading his main weapon when his suit finally noticed the oncoming Newtype."Look, there is another one!" The pilot exclaimed as his partner turned to open fire on the Jaeger, striking it twice before Amaury finished closing the distance, slamming his feet into the reloading enemy to slow himself down as he grabbed the shooting enemy's barrel, bending it with his hands. "Guah, it's him!" The pilot who was reloading yelled as he regained control of his suit, watching Amaury analyze his wingman's suit; time slowing to a crawl inside of the boy's head.

"DIE!" He screamed after a split second as he plunged his heat hawk into the Jegan's torso, released it from his hands and moved onto the next mobile suit at full speed; his movement too fast for the Oldtype pilot to counter, resulting in his death a second later as the Jaeger ejected its beam saber and caught it in it's hand mid swing down onto the suit, causing a massive explosion.

Spotting the return of the Green Demon in the distance and the ease of which he destroyed two mobile suits almost simultaneously, Acting Commander Lokuta grunted in discomfort. No matter their orders and success at knocking the majority of the NRZ's mobile suit force out of the battle his own force had been reduced to a measly twenty two suits, and with the probability of those enemies who remained being the most experienced of the enemy force including at least two Newtypes, it seemed highly unlikely that he would be able to destroy them all.

"All forces, new objective; we will destroy the two warships and retreat. The situation has become untenable, but we will not leave without scoring a fatal blow to their military. Swarm them!" He ordered as the remaining wing commanders acknowledged, and began to order their individual forces to attack. "Gold team, move in to the cruiser and overwhelm their mobile suits. Bring that cruiser down!" The presumed Gold Team leader called out as the others agreed and moved to assault the warship, flying towards the machine in a full frontal assault while Lokuta kept a watchful eye on the trail of destruction the Demon of the New Republic was cutting into his forces, then to the several suits floating around him serving as his bodyguards.

"Someone kill that son of a bitch, he's only human. Let's succeed where both Captain Pierce and Trevelyn have failed!" Lokuta ordered, pointing out towards the Jaeger as it killed yet another one of his men. "Let's go!" He yelled, leading the charge of his four guards towards the machine and its pilot, intending to put an end to the legend once and for all.

Dismembering another Jegan despite his disrupted abilities, Douglas looked out towards the main body of enemy troops, now flying towards their ship directly. They had previously maintained a distance and attacked purely with their long range weapons, but it seemed now that in a sense of desperation they simply planned to overwhelm the defenders of the fleet. "This has got to be their last attack; suicidal if you ask me." The man warned as Marcus took aim and fired on an approaching enemy, striking him in the hip of his Jegan and tearing its leg straight off though he continued forward regardless, further proving their desperation.

"Yeah, I would say so." He replied, as he turned and watched Latty's guntank firing up into the crowd of enemies, impressed both by her machine's ammo capacity as well as the ferocity she continued to fight with, though she herself was more frustrated than anything. "I can't fight like this." She complained, her mind still clouded and frazzled by Amaury's presence. Despite all of her firing she had not destroyed a single enemy target in the last few bursts; her aim scoring hit after hit, all of which were non-critical of not purely cosmetic.

"You need to focus. Rely on your trained and learned abilities, not those gifted to you. Remember what Kurin always said?" Douglas stated as Latty looked to him in their comms for a moment and then took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "Skill before luck." She quoted as she exhaled, calming herself the best she could. Kurin never truly believed that they possessed any supernatural abilities and had always believed any Newtype-based occurrence they succeeded in achieving was just luck, resulting in Jazz, Douglas and herself receiving the best training his money could buy his prized 'Orphan Squad'.

Opening her eyes Latty resumed her firing, her concentration partial restored as Marcus watched from the corner of his eye. The way they spoke of the late pirate lord made him seem like more of a mentor than anything else; something he wouldn't have though possible of one of the Earth Sphere's most wanted criminals. "Here the come, brace yourselves." Marcus warned as the first of the enemy forces began to close the distance on them, firing their weapons as the approached towards the mobile suits. Trying to draw fire away from the vessel Marcus lifted off of the deck of the ship and became mobile, swarming into the enemy attack as he fire his rifle from the hip, striking another target and destroying its arm. "Let's dance!"

Crushing an enemy mobile suit cockpit with his foot as he continued his rampage, Amaury cried out in anger; his thirst for the enemy's blood remaining unquenched despite the fact that he had killed his fourth consecutive victim. He couldn't stop until he knew that Carina was safe and that no more innocent lives would be lost at these men's hands, and the only way to guarantee that was to kill them all without hesitation or mercy. Breathing heavily through his teeth as he growled, the boy stared at the lifeless remains of the Jegan before him as yet another grey flash came over him.

" _Was it worth it?"_ Cousland questioned; the stern, cold look on the admiral's face clear as day in his mind. " _All of the lives you've taken?"_ The admiral asked again as Amaury's eyelids fluctuated for a minute; his body desperately trying to make heads or tails of the situation and filter what was reality from fiction. "Shut up, you bastard..." He snarled as once more Cousland returned. " _The destruction you've caused?"_ Grabbing his head Amaury squeezed against the metal of his helmet in an effort to silence the voice.

"I said shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" He cried out in anger as a barrage of bullets struck against his machine; a stray round finding a soft spot and penetrating into the machine and causing sparks to fly inside as Amaury's attention shot to the approaching group of enemies who had attacked him. " _This is war. People die."_ Grinding his teeth together Amaury weaved in and out of fire, both beam sabers drawn as he approached the first of his foes at full speed. "Time to die demon!" The pilot screamed as he continued to fire on Amaury until both arms were severed from his suit followed by both legs, leaving him defenseless and without any way to run. "No! NO!" The pilot pleaded as his enemy prepared to finish him off, only to be saved by another Jegan who opened fire at the last possible moment.

"Get away from him!" The enemy demanded as the Newtype moved away from the crippled mobile suit and flew towards the newcomer, before being forced to evade another volley of fire from Lokuta's approaching team. "There he is!" He instructed as the Demon cried out in anger, dodging sharply back and forth; pausing only for a moment to lock onto the disabled Jegan from earlier and destroy it with a shot of his remaining sturmfaust. "Damn you!" One of the Federal pilots called out as he boosted forward and brought his beam saber down on top of Amaury's as the boy cut the arm from the suit's body with his free hand before moving onto the next suit in a fury, locking himself into a five to one struggle for survival.

"Don't let him take you out too, kill him first!" Lokuta ordered, firing his own rifle on the enemy in shorts bursts whenever he had an opening, though locking onto the swift moving suit as it hopped from Jegan to Jegan was proving difficult. "You bastard, hold still!" The Federal commander yelled as Amaury's eye shifted toward him; instantly spotting the markings on his shoulders that would indicate authority in the Federal ranks. If this was their highest ranking officer remaining, it was likely him who ordered the attack on the evacuation fleet, making him the highest priority enemy for him to annihilate.

"YOU!" The boy growled, slamming his beam saber into the cockpit of an enemy, disintegrating the pilot and setting the reactor into overdrive as he did so before turning his attention back to Lokuta; boosting forward to cut the man's machine gun in half. "You green bastard, why won't you just die already?!" The Federal officer shouted as he deployed his beam saber and locked it to Amaury's, using his free hand to grab the Jaeger's other wrist to hold back his second weapon. "You attacked innocent people… elderly and children… m-my C-Carina…" The boy growled as her scream of his name pierced his ears once again. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Amaury screamed, kneeing the Jegan in the chest as Lokuta fired his head vulcans, striking Amaury's left beam saber and destroying it as the boy cried out in anger and attempted to strike again; his blade blocked once more by the Jegan's.

"Captain Trevelyn was right, you are a monster!" Lokuta laughed as his eyes grew wide, pushing his blade as hard as his suit could into the enemy suit's. "Your people need to be taught that fighting Federal control will never grant them their freedom; the sooner you learn that, the sooner we can all live in peace, and it's a real shame that you and all of your friends will never live to see that day, Green Demon!" The Lieutenant continued as Amaury's eyes widened; Delacout's voice returning once again at the similarity between the man's words and his. " _It's just a matter of how many more have to die first."_

Screaming in anger, Amaury boosted backwards and allowed Lokuta's blade to swing and miss before boosting forward violently, grabbing hold of the Jegan and rocketing at maximum speed straight down towards the NRZ cruiser below.

"Marcus, behind you!" Douglas warned as he opened fire on an enemy that was approaching the sniper from behind, forcing him to evade and giving Marcus time to turn around to shoot the suit with his last round from the anti-mobile suit rifle he carried, blowing the Jegan's arm from its torso. "Fuck!" Marcus screamed in annoyance at his non-fatal shot as the one armed enemy spun around with its beam saber to strike him down, only to be struck down himself by a hail of Latty's machine gun fire. "You owe me!" She called out as Marcus sighed in relief and shook his head. "Not the first time I've owed a woman something I couldn't make up for." He replied, watching as several of the enemies gathered together in the distance and then made a mad dash for the _Bastille_ , and more specifically, Latty. Gasping, Marcus watched as a second group of enemy machine's split in half and came towards both him and Douglas at the same time, opening fire in what seemed like a distraction. "We need to take out that Guntank or we will never get to the ship!" One of the Federal pilots exclaimed, confirming what Marcus was thinking; they were going to swarm Latty specifically and destroy her to allow themselves free reign to the fleet since in actuality it was the Guntank's firepower that continued to hold the majority of their forces at bay.

"Watch out!" Marcus attempted to warn her, bringing Douglas attention down to the ship as what seemed like five Jegans swarmed her at once as she spun to the closest and open fire; their intent to do harm against her drowned still by their own wingman's presence. "Shit!" She cursed as she destroyed the first suit and then quickly moved on to the second, shredding its legs as she pushed yet a third back away from her by spinning her suit and striking him with her long cannon barrels. "Guys, Latty could really use some help!" Carina called out from her position above, watching as the fourth mobile suit dove forward and grabbed her machine gun-bearing arm, pointing it down at the deck as the other boosted forward with his beam saber out.

"Its over, tank!" He taunted as he rapidly approached, bringing the woman inside the machine to hold her breath as she struggled to break her arm free, even using her free hand to push back against the Jegan holding her. "Shit, shit, shit!" She repeated over and over again, expecting certain death to come before from above Marcus slammed into the deck, lifting his rifle above his head to slow the incoming man's arm; the force of which bent the rifle significantly, preventing the blade from cutting him or Latty in two but not from destroying his Zakum's head.

"Son of a bitch!" Marcus growled as his vision went dark for a second as the blade tore through his machine's main visor, only to return a moment later to an extent when the backup sensors activated. Seeing his enemy before him still holding the blade in an effort to bring it the rest of the way down into his cockpit, Marcus thrust the rifle backwards into the machine's torso and drew his heat hawk.

"Get out of here with that bullshit!" He exclaimed, lobbing the suit's saber-wielding hand from its body before lodging the axe into its cockpit in two fluid motions, killing the pilot inside without a reactor detonation. With her heart still racing from the near death experience Latty spun her attention back to the man holding her arm and once again attempted to push him back, this time succeeding in doing so. "Yeah like he said, fuck off!" She stated, lifting the barrels to the enemies' torso before unleashing a deadly volley of 120mm fire into the machine that floated away lifelessly following its conclusion, leaving the two pilots standing still as they both breathed heavily.

"Are you okay?" Marcus asked after a moment, watching as the other mobile suits returned to their safe distance away from the cruise, afraid to attack any further with their numbers depleted now past any hope of victory. Watching their foes as well as they retreated outside of the point defense rande, Latty nodded and looked to the allied pilot through their communication patch. "I'm alright. I guess you felt the need to pay that debt back immediately, huh?" She questioned with a small grin as Marcus laughed. "Yeah, something like that." He replied as he shook his head, turning away from the camera to pull his remaining weapon from the enemy's suit while at the same time Latty spoke again.

"Thank you, Marcus." She said with a smile as Marcus blinked and smiled back to her, a moment before Douglas cleared his throat and interrupted them. "Not to break... whatever this is up, but look alive. Here comes the kid." He stated as from above they all watched Amaury heading straight towards the _Bastille_ as he continued to struggle against an enemy mobile suit.

"Get your hands off of me, worm!" Lokuta growled as he punched at the Jaeger's cockpit door, slamming Amaury back into his seat and forcing him into another flashback, this time with Monty. " _I never wanted to kill you, but you've intervened in my plans too many times for me to just let you go and risk you ruining this one."_ He recalled, still remembering the struggle between his mentor and him as Monty threatened to stab his knife right through his chest; infuriating him both by the memory as well as the fact that this continued to happen.

"FUCK, SHUT UP!" Amaury growled loudly as the world returned to normal, grabbing ahold of the enemy's hand that held his beam saber to prevent it from swinging as he accelerated rapidly towards the _Bastille._ "What are you going to do, ram me into your ship?!" Lokuta questioned as Amaury's eyes remained locked onto the man before him as the ship below grew larger by the moment. "Son of a bitch, you really are crazy!" The pilot exclaimed as he realized that this was exactly what Amaury planned to do, boosting against Amaury as much as his suit possibly could to slow their descent, though it was enough to stop the two from slamming into the deck between Marcus and the bridge at a relatively high speed Jegan-first, once again damaging the metal substructure as he had done during Operation Duality.

Initially blacking out from the impact as his body was not use to such force, Lokuta opened his now blood filled eyes and focused on the Jaeger above him, kneeling on his suit as reared his arm back to kill him with his beam saber. "No you don't!" Lokuta exclaimed, shooting the beam saber out of Amaury's hand and further enraging the boy who in turn began to rapidly strike with both arms at the machine's cockpit as Carina's voice called to him. _"AMAURY!"_ Her words echoed as Amaury screamed, striking over and over again with his machine's bare fists into the Jegan.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" He demanded regardless of the fact that Lokuta said nothing directly threatening his love, confusing those who watched the scene, including Marcus who stood with wide eyes as Amaury tore at the Jegan's cockpit hatch with his bare hands as he had done when he killed Delacout. The last time he saw Amaury like this he was on a suicide run to return to what he thought would be Carina in the afterlife, causing him to worry despite the fact that it was highly unlikely anything would kill him this late in the battle as not many enemies remained standing. "I'll show you fear! I will be the one who finally kills the Green Demon!" Lokuta yelled, reactivating his previously deactivated saber and swinging it towards Amaury, though in predicting the enemy's movement grabbed his wrist and slammed it to the decking of the ship below before severing the arm at the elbow with Vulcan fire.

" _Scare easy? Well, you should be scared!"_ Tegan's voice taunted in the gray, furthering the boy's hatred. "DIE!" Amaury repeatedly screamed, striking over and over at the cockpit as Carina floated over to the bridge window, once more overwhelmed with grief at the resonating emotion Amaury was experiencing. "Amaury, stop! Please!" She begged as Amaury continued, unsure whether what he was hearing was truly Carina or the voices in his mind still playing tricks on him.

"AMAURY, PLEASE!" The girl finally screamed just as the boy was about to break through Lokuta's cockpit, causing him to freeze in mid-swing of his fist; his monoeye shooting up to the bridge as he did so, causing his overbearing psychic disturbance to alleviate substantially. "C-Carina?" He asked after a long silence once his mind had gathered enough cognitive thought to determine without doubt that it was truly her.

"I… I-I…"He stuttered as he slowly stood from his position kneeling on top of Lokuta's Jegan, looking into the bridge at Carina; tears flowing from her fearful eyes. "I… can't, I… our dreams, I-I have to keep them safe…" He stuttered softly as his mind fell blank, turning to Latty and Marcus before moving back to Carina once again. What had he done? Why was he acting like this? His eyes filling with tears at the realization that she was afraid, the boy felt his heart sink at the realization that what she was afraid of was him.

"I-I'm sorry, I…" The boy apologized as Carina shook her head slowly. "It's okay, just please stop. Please. We've won, you don't need to fight anymore." She replied as Douglas looked up above them, watching the remaining twelve enemy suits return back from where they came, grabbing disabled comrades to tow them away in the process. "She's right. It's over." He confirmed, though Amaury didn't look away from his Carina for even an instant as she slowly nodded to show that everything was alright.

Sensing the apprehension of his friend, Marcus made his way next to Amaury and place his Zakum's hand on his shoulder and his foot on Lokuta's machine, keeping the wounded and silent commander from leaving in his severely crippled mobile suit; his communications equipment destroyed beyond use, leaving him completely in the dark with no way to call for help or further instigate the emotionally unstable demon. "Why don't you head back to Achilles. We will be there soon, alright kid?" Marcus stated as Amaury slowly looked up to Carina. "It's okay, I'll be right there." She repeated again as he lowered his head and slowly nodded.

"Alright." He replied quietly before heading off towards the colony as Carina watched in silence, feeling now that amongst all of his fear and sadness there emerged a new emotion; shame. Why did he feel shame? Why was any of this happening at all? Landing on the deck in the same spot Amaury had just departed, Douglas looked up to the bridge as well, and then down to the struggling Jegan below. "Look away." He instructed Carina who did as instructed as he placed the barrel of his gun to the battered cockpit and pulled the trigger, putting Lokuta out of his misery with a single shot.

Turning his eyes away as Douglas brought his weapon back to a resting position, Marcus watched several rescue shuttles from Achilles approach and scatter out into the debris field in search of survivors from the Republic's fleet, knowing that out there somewhere were likely wounded soldiers trapped inside of their battered and disabled machines as well as the dead whose bodies would need to be returned to their families. With a somber expression he shifted his view to the burning colony behind them; so many lives were lost on the battlefield that day, how many more died in the colony?

"When will this end?" Marcus asked quietly to himself as the shuttles in their convoy begin to form a line for entry into Achilles' dry dock while the _Bastille_ and _Samuel Raditz_ lined up with two of the external shoring facilities. "It will never end." Latty replied as Marcus attention shifted to her through their link, watching her eyes stare out into space through her screen. "This cycle of war and peace is what drives the universe forward. It's been this way since the dawn of man and will continue on for eternity until no human remains." The woman added as Marcus watched out into the same void of space that she did. This was not the woman they had first encountered in space while fighting against Lord Kurin.

That Latty, who at the time had remained nameless, was significantly more talkative but at the same time far less mentally stable or so it seemed, and he never would have pegged her for some sort of philosopher. In silence Douglas watched the two of them, knowing well why she held such a grim opinion on life and the future. "It is what it is." He replied after a moment or two in the eerie silence that crept over their radio network, though it was nice to be able to enjoy a moment without Amaury's interference which had since dampened as he both calmed down and moved away towards Achilles.

"We are all destined to die one day. You just have to live while you can and fight with everything you have to keep those you care about safe. That is the reality of human life now." Douglas continued as Marcus looked down at his controls before him, displaying all sorts of warning messages about his suits damage. "It shouldn't have to be that way." He replied as Douglas huffed lightly with a smirk. "You are right, it shouldn't." The man responded, turning his attention up to the bridge of the ship, spotting Carina as she remained in sight, watching Amaury's light continue off in the distance.

"Get ready to dock. We've got a lot of people to take care of." Douglas instructed as he pushed Lokuta's tomb from the deck of the ship with his Zakum's foot, watching the boy fly off towards the colony as well. Who was this boy that he once found so insignificant and why he was able to produce such a blinding presence that it had nullified their own Newtype abilities? It was similar to that of the strange, reclusive woman they fought alongside in the red mobile suit, but even hers was not as sharp and did not have such an effect. Maybe there really was more to him than originally seemed.

Despite the crippled state of his mobile suit Tegan managed to gain the upperhand on Chalmer and had severed both arms, one of the legs and the main thruster pack from his ReZEL in one final attack as his beam saber ran out of energy. "Damn you tegan, you piece of shit!" The pilot inside screamed, clearly beaten and bloodied from the battle. With only auxiliary thrusters remaining he was unable to achieve any notable thrust to escape the madman, leaving him stranded in space as Tegan laughed. "I told you fighting me was foolish. If only you would have learned from Ash's mistakes and sided with me, you might live to see the day the Federation grew stronger and once again emerged victorious." Tegan replied in a taunt as he reached forward and pulled Chalmer's beam saber from his severed forearm. If that crazy woman was fighting Pierce there was no way she would survive or at least make it back to the fleet before he did, bringing life back to his previously doomed plan.

"Your vision of the Federation is antiquated and corrupt; no matter what you say or do Counselor Wright will never allow you to hold the power necessary to succeed in Cousland's shadow!" Chalmer growled, holding his left arm tighters to try and stop the bleeding. One of Tegan's blows had sprayed the cockpit with spalling from components inside of his machine and a piece of sharp metal had tore into his arm, causing it to bleed heavily and fill the cockpit with blood droplets that floated around and stained everything they touched.

"Nobody said Wright would live to see the future either." Tegan replied with a grin as he ignited the beam saber in his hand and focused on the disabled ReZEL before him, the pilot of which snarled in anger. "Fuck you!" He exclaimed as Tegan boosted forward and lifted the blade in the air to kill the pilot before being forced to avoid a stream of incoming vulcan fire from above, sensing now that the woman he trusted would continue to fight Margaret now came for him once again.

"That was quick; Margaret didn't put up much of a fight, did she?" Tegan huffed as he backed away from the ReZEL, locking blades with Elise right in front of Chalmer as he watched on, spared from death for the time being by the enemy of his enemy. "Oh she's alive and well, as far as I know. You see Tegan, when you have friends you can ask for a little help." Elise replied as Tegan grunted in annoyance. From the way she spoke he concurred that someone else now fought against Margaret, allowing her to continue to track him instead. "Friends are overrated!" Tegan growled, swinging his blade once again as Elise deflected it with her shield and struck the side of Tegan's head, tearing a hole through the armor with superficial damage before he could evade out of the way.

"I used to think the same thing, but they seem to come in handy afterall." Elise replied in a smug tone as she went on the offensive, forcing Tegan to evade and counter each one of her swings and thrusts or risk certain death as a voice called from down below. "Hey, I can hear you, you know." Geoff laughed as he fought for dominance against his own opponent who despite previous connections made good on her promise to fight him as if he were any other enemy. "You shouldn't pay too much attention on their fight; each little distraction offers me the opportunity to get the upper hand! Remember fencing at the academy?" She questioned as she jabbed at Geoff's Jegan with her saber, bringing the man to laugh.

"You purposely wore a low cut shirt and bent down in front of me to 'tie your shoe', how was I not supposed to be distracted?" He questioned, recalling the event as if it wasn't that long ago, when in reality they had both graduated the academy nearly a decade prior. "So the sight of an average pair of breasts lowers your guard? This is why I was always the better soldier, Geoff. Better pilot, calmer head, critical thinker; it was no wonder why Shobridge named me as his successor." She continued to taunt as both pilots locked blades and held them close to one another's cockpits; their head units staring directly into one another's. "No, I'm pretty sure Shobridge had the same weakness as me, and that's why he named you Captain!" Geoff laughed as Margaret huffed in annoyance, kicking his Jegan in the cockpit and trying to rapidly strike him though the Colonel blocked, remembering her techniques well.

"Such comments remind me of why we never went any further than 'friends with benefits'; always too distracted to ever be truly serious about his obligations." Margaret replied, striking a slight nerve in the man's mind as his laughter died and was replaced with an unhappy scowl.

"Not serious enough? If I remember correctly you were the one who wanted it that way, not me. But you swore that being tied down in anything more than an occasional weekend fling would hurt your goals. Well, I'm glad everything worked out for you. Truly I am." Geoff replied in a stern, annoyed voice as Margaret's own demeanor soured. "You knew what it was, Geoff. Both you and Monty." She stated in return as Geoff scoffed, backhand swinging to counter Margaret's next blow.

"Yeah, Monty. You always favored him over me because you knew he would accept that lifestyle. His self-centered, sociopathic behavior got him real far in life too, don't worry." Geoff replied angrily, bringing Margaret to raise an eyebrow. The three of them had been nearly inseparable during their time in the navy and she swore the two would be close friends for life. What could have happened that would break this bond? Was he a part of all of this as well? "Monty is part of this uprising as well?" She asked as Geoff prepared to reply before looking down at his sensors, alerted by the wild beeping sound that a force of twelve or so mobile suits was approaching from below, and by their encoded identifiers he could tell they were not his own forces.

"Don't want to fight fair anymore, huh?" Geoff questioned, assuming that his opponent had summoned the reinforcements, but at the sound of her voice as she looked down on her forces that assumption faded. "What are you doing here? I ordered you to maintain the fight. Where are the others?" Margaret questioned, forcing one of the surviving members of her attack force to respond as all twelve suits formed around her; those of which who still had weapons and were not tugging along their comrades aiming at Geoff without a single shot fired.

"We are all that is left, Captain. Lieutenant Lokuta assumed command in your absence and ordered an attack on their capital ships… they overpowered us despite our best efforts." He replied bringing Margaret to silence as she felt her blood beginning to boil. "The capital ships being used to evacuate the civilians from Pharros?" She asked, receiving no reply in confirmation of her fears. This was exactly what she had hoped to prevent by killing Tegan herself; the spread of the belief that orders were simply suggestions and that one's personal belief was enough to justify the genocide of millions. "Where is Lokuta now?!" She snapped as the pilot who spoke to her shook his head. "He's dead ma'am."

Hearing that there had been an attack on the evacuation fleet Geoff's own eyes narrowed in anger on his opponent. "What kind of outfit are you running here, Margaret? Huh? Allowing Tegan to not only attack and destroy an entire occupied colony, but also gain the power to influence and brainwash your men to act on his behalf?" He snapped as Margaret's attention shot back to him.

"There is more at play here than what is on the surface and I suggest that unless you understand the whole situation you keep your damn mouth shut, Geoff." She snarled back, looking around to her pilots. "All of you who can fight, after Tegan, NOW! Bring down that red suit if you have to, but we end this now. The rest of you return to the carriers, and someone take Chalmer, understood?!" Margaret screamed as those who remained capable of fighting nodded.

"Yes ma'am!" They confirmed the order before speeding off towards the battle above, leaving Margaret and Geoff hovering still, staring each other down in silence. "I have to do this. _We_ need to do this. You know that. It will only get worse from here on out if she kills him, and if that happens I will kill her myself." Margaret replied after a moment or two, bringing Geoff to scowl. As much as he too desired for Tegan to die at Elise's hands, he knew that what she spoke of was true. While the Federation turning on one another would prove to be an excellent distraction from their pursuit of the New Republic, he understood that if Tegan became a martyr more and more soldiers would became infected with Tegan's cancerous beliefs, and the lives of all of those still living under Federal rule in the Earth's sphere would continue to get worse. And on top of that he knew that while she was not a Newtype, Margaret was a very skilled fighter likely capable of taking Elise down, and that was something he was unwilling to risk.

"Elise, lets go. Our time is up." He called out to his wingman as Margaret bolted up into the sky in pursuit of her target just as Elise gained the upper hand on her prey. "What?!" She growled as Tegan's arm floated away from his body; severed by the woman's beam saber after nearly three minutes of constant, repetitive strikes over and over again. "No! I told you he is my kill!" She argued as she began to sense the slew of incoming fire from below, forcing her to dodge and weave through what was being thrown her way as the Cerberus made his break, darting off at his maximum speed towards the carrier fleet. "NO!" She yelled, chasing after the enemy as the horde of mobile suits followed behind her. "Leave it alone Elise, its not worth your life!" Geoff responded as the swarm of mobile suits continued to follow the woman, who by now seemed to be a rage induced panic.

"NO! I MUST KILL HIM!" She screamed as swung at her target, missing Tegan's remaining leg before being struck by several stray machine gun rounds in her left propellant tank, causing it to explode and send the woman reeling off course. "FUCK!" She snarled; the sound of her voice mimicking that of Amaury's own rage screaming, bringing Geoff to rush towards her with concern. "Elise, stop!" He commanded as she prepared to attack the horde of enemies who shot her. She couldn't fail now; this was her absolute last chance to defeat the Newtype who had challenged her so many times, proving her worth. She had come so close; she almost had him. Why did he decide now that it was over?!

"I can't, don't you get it?! This is my one purpose, to kill other Newtypes!" She replied, boosting into the oncoming horde who now separated her from Tegan. "AND ANYONE ELSE WHO GETS IN MY WAY!" She again screamed, striking out at the nearest Jegan before moving onto the next in a fury as Margaret approached from below and locked blades with the woman, keeping her from killing any of her remaining men.

"I warned you Geoff, make her back off or I will kill her!" Captain Pierce instructed as Elise cried out in anger, smashing into her enemy's weapon with her own over and over before the ReZEL swung it's knee around and slammed into the Glint's cockpit; the pilot inside too blinded by anger to sense the attack. Knocked back once again Elise watched the woman swinging her blade down towards her as Geoff slammed his machine full speed into the ReZEL, knocking it off course and preventing the possibly fatal strike. "Go!" He instructed Margaret who scowled, transformed into Waverider mode and flew away.

Recovering from the kick, Elise attempted to chase after Captain Pierce before being stopped once more by Geoff. "No Elise!" He instructed, moving in front of her as the woman growled angrily. "Stop protecting your fuck buddy and move!" Elise snapped as she slammed her blade into Geoff's while he remained silent, angered by her comment. "It's not her I'm trying to protect, now knock it OFF!" He replied, parrying her blade to the side as she stared him down. He was protecting _her_ from that woman? Why would that be?

Trying to move past his suit she was met with further resistance as Geoff moved in front of her each way she tried to go, angering her. "WHY?!" She growled, trying once more to get past as Geoff this time deactivated his beam saber and held his hand out to her suit's torso, forcibly holding her back. "You don't need to go out there and die to prove something; not to yourself or anyone else. It's not worth it." He replied as Elise's scowl grew.

Geoff may have thought he knew her, but he didn't. He knew only what she _wanted_ him to know and that was all, and he certainly didn't know what she had gone through all of her life or the immense pressure she found herself under every day of her life. He didn't understand the importance killing Tegan presented, both to her and for Mars. Still enraged she lifted her beam shield in the air, threatening to strike him down but at his lack of retaliation she froze. He wasn't going to defend himself? Did he really trust her that much? She didn't.

"How do you know what my life is worth?!" She questioned, the hatred in her voice still roaring as Geoff stared forward at the blonde before him. It was no mystery that many of the crew that had come to know her felt she was some sort of cold, heartless woman who hated everyone around her, and she knew this was true. Why would he assume any different? Seeing a smile across his face the woman physically recoiled, unsure what to make of the gesture.

"What is so funny?" She questioned as Geoff turned his eyes back to hers. "I don't know what your life is worth to anyone else but myself. But look around, look at all of the people you've helped and taught during your time with us. You kept your distance to most, but to a few you are more than just some weapon. Look at Tome and Amaury, for example. With your guidance you helped him learn how to use his powers, and through your training you shaped Tome into one of the best pilots in the fleet. And although you will never admit it, I know you have something to do with helping Carina and Amaury's relationship come to fruition." Geoff began as Elise's eyes widened a bit, truly curious about what he was saying.

"Hell, technically everyone in the New Republic owes you their thanks. Without your destruction of the relay stations, we would have never made it this far. Or the information you provided about our first mobile suits? Come on Elise, don't act as if you haven't done anything worthwhile." He added as she looked down at space below her through her panoramic cockpit, thinking back on everything she had done since joining their crew before coming to the realization that he spoke about everyone but himself. "And to you?" She questioned, bringing Geoff to laugh once more.

"Hey now, that's a secret. I guess if you really want to know you will have to stick around, huh?" He replied as she stared at him, forming such a slight smile at his gesture that he could not see it through her visor. Lowering her weapon down as she deactivate the blade she took one more look up at the fleeing mobile suits, then back towards the colonies before heading towards Dresen without a word, leaving Geoff alone. Watching the woman fly away he sighed and shook his head, muting his microphone to make sure she did not hear him. "I'll take it." He whispered with a smile, shifting his own eyes out into space as his old friend lead her men on a quest for justice, briefly remembering a time where he was part of that same crew before turning and heading towards the colonies himself.

Touching down inside of the dry dock Amaury found himself struggling to maintain control of both himself and the machine he piloted. The relatively calm mindset he had achieved at Carina's soft words as he departed the evacuation fleet for Achilles was long gone, and he once more found himself afflicted by the hallucinations that he could not seem stop. "Come on, watch your step!" A ground crewman warned, helping navigate the mobile suit through the narrow lane in front of him.

Due to the evacuation the dry docks were heavily populated with refugees and under order of the port authority of Achilles all incoming vessels and suits were to be guided to their destination by ground crewman to avoid any accidents, especially since the zero gravity environment inside had been disabled for the time being to assist in moving those not use to it. Grunting as he tried desperately to maintain focus Amaury froze, locking the Jaeger in place as the world darkened.

 _"The more that I-I think about our future, the d-deeper in love with you I fall, and the m-more my heart desires for your dream of our life together."_ Carina's voice whispered, drowning out the crewman below as they tried to call the boy on their local radio frequency to get him to keep him moving. "C-Carina…" Amaury whispered as the two men guiding him looked to one another in confusion before he began to move again, shaking the thoughts and voices from his head. "Sorry." He replied after a moment, clearly out of breath as the dock he was assigned to in the distance became visible. He was so close to his destination, and despite knowing he only had a short distance to go he could barely stand to keep his eyes open.

Painstakingly continuing to walk down the center lane Amaury spotted Tome's Zakum to the side of him, just how badly the machine had been damaged now visible in the bright light of the hangar. With that much damage it was highly unlikely that she escaped injury, was she okay? She had to be; he promised Sam to take care of her. "H-How is that pilot?" Amaury asked as the nearest ground crewman looked to the machine, then back to the Jaeger. "I'm not sure. Nobody has seen her since she landed." He replied, further worrying Amaury. How could nobody have seen her?

Finally making his way to his docking bay Amaury wasted no time carefully backing into the slot and locking down his machine before sitting back in his seat and closed his eyes, ushering a slight sense of peace over the boy. He was exhausted in every sense of the word, and just the knowledge that the battle was over for him was enough to calm his nerves, especially with the somewhat fresh air that flowed into his helmet as he opened his visor. " _It's a good plan."_ Carina's voice once again called out, forcing his eyes to open as he remembered when they spoke of settling down and raising a family once they were free; a dream they both shared together, the thought of which brought a small smile to his face though it disappeared a moment later.

Would she still want that dream after what she saw today? He saw the fear in her eyes and heard it in her voice, she was afraid of him. She had understood and forgiven him for his past before when he told her about living on the streets in Dresden, but this was different. She watched with her own eyes as he screamed and carried on in a bloodthirsty rage like an animal, slaughtering those who stood in his way. Could she love such a… demon? " _I don't hate you, Amaury. All of those things you did were all because you had to, not because you wanted to. You had no choice."_ But did he have a choice? Did he have to keep killing? He sure thought so; it was the only way to make sure that their dream could flourish and come alive. Sitting in silence for a few moments longer, the boy lifted his head as he heard the overhead speaker announcing an incoming arrival from the convoy.

"All hands report to the dock for the arrival of the NRZ _Bastille_. Repeat, all hands report to the dock to receive refugees aboard the _Bastille._ " The voice called out as Amaury held his breath. He knew that Carina was onboard and despite his exhaustion he wanted to be there to greet her, but did she want to see him? Knowing he couldn't hide in his machine forever the boy stood, placing a hand on his stomach to try and calm his nerves. Even if she really didn't want to see him he would be there waiting for her, even if it meant waiting forever.

Feeling the tug of the SICOS cable in the back of his neck Amaury looked over to the controller and remembered what Emerson said about make sure to always turn off the controller prior to disconnecting from the system, and while he was unsure how it could possibly be any worse he did as instructed, leaning over and grasping the switch with his hand before plunged the lever down, though instead of setting him free from his nightmares he found himself plunged right back into them.

"G-Guah!" Amaury gasped as his eyes grew wide once more and the cockpit grew dark and colorless; his body tensing up and freezing him in place as the worst of his hallucinations and nightmares returned, this time causing visual hallucinations showing Sam's brief fight against Delacout. "N-No..." Amaury pleaded as he was forced to watch. " _Get away from her!"_ Sam called out amongst overwhelming gunfire, moments before his mobile suit was shredded by gunfire and destroyed, followed by Tome's piercing scream." _SAM!"_ She cried through the silence in his mind as he watched in horror as Sam died all over again through his eyes and Delacout's laughter filled the air. " _He wasn't a very good pilot; you shouldn't take his death too hard!"_ The voice called as Amaury's body trembled in fear, still unable to move or speak. Why was this happening? He disconnected the SICOS, why was he still stuck in this hell?!

 _"So tell me now boy, what are you going to do? Take me prisoner? I can tell you I won't come easy, you'll-"_ Delacout asked as he watched from above as he killed the man in the most violent way possible, spraying his blood through space; the sound of bones and metal breaking under his suit's hand deafening him as he collapsed to his hands and knees, holding himself up from the floor as he struggled to regain control.

"S-Stop…! STOP!" He screamed as his gloved hands tore at the metal flooring below him; the only motion he was able to accomplish in his debilitated state as once more he created a psychic firestorm around him. Screaming out again in anger as he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but open them wide at the sound of a new voice, one that he hadn't heard in a long, long time.

" _What's the matter? Forgot the sound of your own mother's voice?"_ His mother called as she opened their apartment door, laying eyes on a little Amaury who played with a small collection of building blocks while sitting on the floor. " _Mommy!"_ The boy cheered before standing up and running into his mother's arms who wasted no time picking him up. " _I'm sorry that I had to leave, I just had to run down to the store quick to meet with the boss. You weren't scared, were you?"_ She questioned with a playful pout as Amaury, who couldn't have been more than six at the time, shook his head.

" _No way, I'm not afraid of anything!"_ He replied with a big grin as his mother laughed. " _I know your not, just like your father! But you know no matter what that I will always come back, right?"_ His mother asked as his former self nodded and wrapped his arms around his mother's neck, bringing tears to his eyes as he continued to hold himself up.

"B-But y-you didn't come back! YOU DIDN'T COME BACK!" He screamed slamming his fist into the metal floor in anger as the next scene showed just that; the day she never came back and his life changed forever. "YOU N-NEVER C-CAME BACK!" He cried as he watched his early teenage self standing in the kitchen of their home as the sun came up and set several times in fast forward, showing how he waited there for days for her to return. This memory had long been forgotten from his mind, not out of choice but out of necessity to his survival. Why did it surface now? Why?!

Surrendering to her anxiety as she entered the dock Carina found herself unable to assist in the offload until she checked on both Amaury and, upon seeing Tome's Zakum in the distance, her best friend as well. Running through the crowd while apologizing for each nudge and bump, she made her way to the nearest ground crew member and tugged on their sleeve. "Hey, have you seen Tome? What about Amaury?" She asked, scanning the multiple docks for the Jaeger before spotting it way at the end of the massive docking facility, nearly five hundred or so yards away.

"I literally have no idea who either of those people are, okay? There are half a million people in the place right now and I really don't have time for this." The worker replied as Carina huffed and spun the worker around by his sleeve, in no mood for games. "Those pilots." She instructed as she pointed towards the Zakum and then the Jaeger as the crew member lifted his head in realization.

"Ooooh. I'm not sure about the grey one, but the green one at the far end came in a few minutes ago. I haven't seen the hatch open at all, so I guess he's still in there." He replied as Carina immediately began to run through the crowd towards the closest suit to her, the Zakum. It took her a minute or two to reach it through the massive flock of people, and as she reached the cockpit she found herself both out of breath and disappointed to find that Tome wasn't there. "Tome?" She questioned loudly, stepping inside to look around the machine's cockpit before she suddenly sensed a major emotional outcry similar to before from Amaury's suit, though this time it was pure horror and staggering grief.

"Amaury!" She yelled, turning to exit back out onto the catwalk before sprinting once again down the lane, following the catwalk until it reached an elevated crossover which she quickly climbed and made her way across. She had to make it there quick. He need her, and unlike last time, she would be there to answer his call.

Grinding his teeth together in anguish Amaury continued to cry as now his father spoke; his tears splattering below on the metal floor, mixing with the blood that continued to run from his nose as he sobbed. _"Yes, your mother; Sophie. You know, she was so excited when she found out she was pregnant with you, Amaury. I had never seen her smile so much in the years I had known her, and we would spend hours just talking about how things would be when you were born."_ Armin called out as Amaury ground his teeth together in pure anguish, envelope in the story of his life that was playing out around him.

"Then w-why would she leave me alone?!" He cried out, collapsing to the floor on his side with his back against his seat as what remained of his energy drained from his body. How much longer could this go on? Closing his eyes as he tried to catch is breath he heard what sounded like footsteps on the catwalk outside of his machine, causing his eyes to shoot to door in front of him.

"Amaury! Amaury, are you alright?!" Carina asked as Amaury's eyes widened and immediately winced as his mind flooded with her voice shouting his name in all different tones and manners until it screamed in his head. " _AMAURY!"_ Her voice screamed in his head, forcing his eyes closed tightly. "STOP!" He cried, causing the girl outside of his machine to jump, knowing now that something truly was wrong.

"Hold on Amaury, I'm coming!" Carain replied as she used her hand to reach up and grab the hidden emergency release for the hatch, having memorized it's location just in case she ever needed to get inside in a hurry. Unlocking the hatch she stepped to the side and allowed the reinforced door to slam to the catwalk before stepping up inside an spotting her lover laying on the floor, struggling to breathe in what seemed like a deep panic.

"S-Stay back!" He shouted, finding the strength to push himself up to a seat position with his back against his cockpit seat as she stared in shock. Was this how he was out there? Was he this afraid the entire time? "Amaury…" She whispered, her heart breaking as she stared into the boy's tearfilled eyes. She had never seen him this way, even when he had all will to live, leading her to believe almost without a doubt that this had something to do with the SICOS.

"P-Please stay back..." He again instructed the girl as tears rolled down his face. _"I love you too, my Amaury."_ Her voice repeated as he sobbed once, ashamed that she saw him like this; broken and pathetic on the floor. "I'm a m-monster!" He cried out as Carina's hands gripped the side of the hatch entrance and her head shook, taking her first steps inside.

"Amaury-" She attempted as another one of her sentences called out in his mind at the same time. _"I-I promise that from n-now on I'm going to do better, both as an engineer and as t-the one who wants to spend their life at your side."_ Her ghost whispered loudly in his ears as he shook his head. That couldn't be true anymore, not after seeing what he had become. "I-I don't deserve you. I-I'm a killer, a demon; there is something wrong with m-me! I-I..." He choked out as Carina moved forward towards him, unable to stand the sight of her love's struggle anymore.

Dropping to her knees between his legs she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a big hug, bringing the boy to stop instantly as his head rested against her chest. "Stop Amaury, please. You are not a monster, I promise. Please stop." She pleaded as the boy remained still, his eyes open wide until finally closing a few moments later as her embrace began to slowly sooth his rage. "C-Carin-na…" He whispered as she bit her lip. She could still sense the fear and sorrow in both his voice and his emotions, leading her to do the one thing that thought for sure would calm him down.

Choosing the same song as the night they cooked dinner together she began to sing, almost immediately feeling the emotional burden he carried lifting off of his shoulders, and as his eyes met hers she knew that not only was it working but that she had regained his trust as well.

At the sound of her voice Amaury's eyes shot up to hers once more, his fear and sorrow beginning to melt away with each new verse of the song. Smiling gently to show that it was okay, she reached to the back of his head and carefully removed the SICOS cable from his neck as gently as possible to avoid hurting him. She then turned her attention to his helmet, removing it carefully and setting it to the side before pulling his head once more against her chest; cradling it there with her arms as she rested her cheek to his forehead.

Finishing the song she continued to hold her lover a moment or two longer until she felt his arms wrap around her waist, bringing her to look down at him and take notice that only one of his eyes had turned slightly pink with blood; surprising given the impact he created when he rammed Lolita's suit into the deck of the _Bastille._ "Amaury?" She asked as their eyes met and he slowly nodded, his mouth opening for a moment before words came out.

"Please don't be afraid of me…" He whispered as she smiled and giggled under her breath. "Don't be silly, my Amaury." She replied, running her hand through his hair still. "I was afraid _for_ you, not _of_ you. I could never be afraid of you." She replied as he closed his eyes an nuzzled his head against hers. "M-My Carina." He hummed in reply before both turned their attention to the hatch of the Jaeger as a shadow cast over them from it.

"Tome!" Carina called out as the girl stepped inside, holding onto the side of the Jaeger's hatchway for support. "Is he a-alright?" She asked as she winced in pain, her free hand still holding her stomach to try an ease the pain she felt. "He's okay. Whatever was happening has subsided… I think it had something to do with his SICOS, but I'm not sure." Carina replied as her eyes scanned over Tome's appearance. Her tan skin seemed pale, both of her eyes were bright red with blood and on top of the obvious pain she was in related to her stomach she seemed very uneasy on her feet.

"Are you alright? I came to your suit looking for you, but you were not there. The crewmen I spoke to said that nobody saw you get out of it." Carina asked as Tome tried to smile, but could not. "N-No, I think somethings wrong… with my stomach." The girl replied as Carina became nervous. She remembered Tome mentioning a few days ago that she was not feeling well and that it was related to her stomach, but she had assumed it was the flu. Was it possible she was injured from her training with Elise and it had now been made worse by the battle?

"Tome, I think you need to sit down." Carina urged the girl as she shook her head, struggling to stand. "N-No, I'm…" The girl began to reply to say she was alright when she suddenly became extremely dizzy, stumbling into the wall as Carina began to stand to help her. "I…" The girl stated before suddenly shutting her eyes and collapsing to the floor of the cockpit with a loud thud, bringing Carina to rush to her side and slide to a stop on her knees next to her. "Tome, Tome! Wake up!" She yelled, picking the girl up in her arms as Amaury watched on helplessly. "Tome!"


	33. Chapter 33: Bloodlines

With the enemy attack force defeated and most of their own fleet in disrepair there was nothing else for the pilots of the New Republic to do besides assist in the continuing rescue, offload and relocation of the millions of civilians displaced by the loss of Pharros. The colony had since been abandoned and the fires that had once raged through the city extinguished; not by their own hand but by the fire's breach of the colony's substructure, which without the colony's constant oxygen regeneration systems, drained all fuel for the fire and suffocated it until none remained.

Through the hard work and dedication of all involved, no civilian was left standing at the docks to die, however not every citizen of the doomed starport made it out alive and although it was still too early to tell, the total loss of civilian life on Pharros was projected to have been at least six hundred thousand; most of which were killed instantly due to their proximity to the colony's nuclear pulse engines at the time of their destruction.

Upon landing on Achilles the members of the New Republic's defense forces went straight to work, including Geoff, Marcus and Latty, who all rushed forward to assist with the offload of the _Bastille_ and _Samuel Raditz_ , while Douglas was dispatched to assist in the offload efforts there. It wasn't until two hours later that they had heard about Tome and as soon as the opportunity presented itself they made their way to see her.

Rushed to the hospital from the docks by military ambulance with both Carina and a physically drained Amaury by her side, Tome was taken right into the emergency room at the main Achilles hospital before immediately being moved to a private room on the fifth floor; instructed to do so by the hospital's head nurse upon the realization that she had not only been a soldier, but one of the men and women who fought against the Federation to keep them safe against overwhelming odds. By the time of her arrival at the hospital the girl had regained consciousness but remained in poor condition; severely nauseated, covered in bruises with duel subconjunctival hemorrhages and complaining of the same sharp abdominal pain and discomfort she had been experiencing in the days prior to the battle.

Even after being in the hospital's care for nearly an hour the girl's condition remained a mystery to the staff who had been overwhelmed by the massive influx of injured from the battle. Immediately they could tell her injured eyes were clearly from extreme g-force exposure and that her body was exhausted, slightly malnourished and mildly dehydrated, likely from her lack of appetite for what neared a week's time, but to know why her stomach hurt and to further diagnose any internal injury from the battle, she had undergone a series of x-rays and scans as well as blood work testing.

"This fuckin' sucks…" Tome complained weakly from her position in the hospital bed as Carina let out a small laugh and sat down on the bed next to her. Careful not to sit on the oxygen line that ran up around her ears and into her nose as a precautionary measure until they knew about her condition, she took the girls hand in hers and squeezed it gently. She could sense Tome's fear and uncertainty at what was going on, likely afraid that she may never return to the fight. "Oh stop, both you and the Kalani will be fixed up in no time." She replied as Tome sighed. "I sure hope so." The girl replied as she closed her bloodied eyes for a moment or two before opened them again and focusing on Amaury, who sat in a chair across from the foot of her bed; his eyes barely open as he stared down at the floor without a word, clearly trying his best to stay awake.

"You can sleep Amaury. You don't have to stay awake just because of me." She instructed as Carina turned to him as well, just as he looked up to his friend. "No, I'm alright." He replied softly as he lowered his vision back down to the ground. Although his part in the battle had been short compared to the others he was beyond exhausted, leading him to believe that Emerson was right and that he really shouldn't have returned to active duty so soon.

At the same time, if he would have returned even sooner, he may have been able to keep Tome from being injured so badly or even hospitalized, and while he didn't believe her injuries were entire his fault, knowing he may have been able to prevent them hurt. Now sensing Amaury's emotional struggle Carina stood up from the bed with another gentle squeeze of her best friend's hand and walked over to Amaury, sitting down next to him as she took his now and interlocked their fingers together.

"It's okay." She whispered, trying to keep him calm as he nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. They were not entirely sure what caused his mental break, and until he was evaluated she didn't want to risk it happening again. "As soon as the others get here we will see what Emerson says, I just don't want to leave Tome alone. Okay babe?" She asked as he nodded in agreement.

Since reuniting with Carina he had calmed significantly from the demonic state of mind he had fallen into, but given everything that had happened she insisted he be checked, especially since he still seemed off. He did not fight however, agreeing to do so without a single complaint, no matter how much he didn't want to hear Emerson's speech about how he was an idiot and should not have returned to combat so soon.

With a smile Carina leaned her own head against his and sighed."Between the two of you it seems that being sick with worry will have to be something I get use to." She joked, bringing to Amaury grin ever so slightly as Tome laughed lightly before grabbing ahold of her stomach with a grunt. "Stop making me laugh, you are going to kill me!" She replied as Carina laughed in return.

As the laughter died down however Tome returned her eyes to Amaury as he rested his head on Carina's shoulder, recalling once again how he mentioned that he had promised Sam something; something she desperately wanted to know as she knew it must have pertained to her. "Amaury?" She asked, bringing his attention back to her as she bit the inside of her lip. Was this the right time? Judging by the racing heart in her chest and the lack of anyone other than him and Carina who could be listening, it had to be.

"You mentioned before about… promising Sam something." She stated as Amaury recalled Sam's words as well as his promise to tell her what they were; recalling it as a memory rather than a haunting apparition as Tome spoke again. "You don't need to tell me if right now isn't the time, I just…" She began to add as he continued to stare forward at his friend before shifting to Carina, staring into her eyes with uncertainty. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell them about what he saw that day or about what Sam's ghost said to him, it was that he was afraid they wouldn't believe him; that he was crazy for speaking with the dead or that he had even made it up.

"I..." Amaury stuttered, stopping Tome's words as he looked back to the hospital room's door, which for privacy remained shut. If he was going to seem crazy he would much rather be with as little company as possible and if anyone would believe him he was sure it would be the those in his presence at this moment. "I'll tell you." He finished his thought, swallowing nervously as he squeezed his lover's hand and took a deep breath. Would they believe him, or would they think he was insane?

"When I… died. I was sent to this afterlife… I think. This never ending expanse of light. At first I was alone, but then my father, he… he found me." Amaury began to describe, his eyes lowering to the floor as he recalled each detail of his father's face, remembering just how much like him he appeared; his audience of two listening intently, especially Carina who, on top of her own lingering pain from the knowledge of his death, sensed the sadness the memory brought, bringing her to slowly rub his hand to offer some form of comfort. This was all hard to believe. He had never met his father, so how could he be sure it was him? At the same time however, she knew that Amaury wouldn't lie, nor would he tell them about this unless he truly believed it was real. Could it really have been his father?

"Did he say anything, Amaury?" Carina whispered as her lover's eyes moved to her own, staring for a moment before nodding. "He told me about my mother and about how he… how he was proud of me; proud of us for what we were doing to right the wrongs in our world." Amaury continued, stopping as he fought back the lump in his throat that had formed at the thought of his dad's words. "As they brought me back someone else approached and I thought… I thought it was you; that we were going to be together in the afterlife. But... as this person came closer, it wasn't you..." He began again, his heavy eyes shifting back and forth between Carina's teary green orbs before turning to Tome, and then to the floor. "It was Sam."

Hearing Sam's name Tome's eyes widened even further as she sat up from her laid-back position, supporting the burden of her strained body with both arms as she did so. "S-Sam? Y-you saw S-Sam?" She questioned as Amaury nodded, his eyes remaining low out of fear; afraid to see the heartbreak in her eyes. "Yes." The boy replied as Tome's breath faltered and tears formed in her eyes. He'd seen Sam? Was he lying? No, he couldn't be. Amaury never lied, and by the pain in his face as he spoke she too knew he believed what he spoke of was genuine and that it really did happen. And if was true, that meant that he said something to Amaury as well, right? Surely if his father spoke to him so would Sam.

"Did you… talk to him, too? I… I have to know, Amaury. Please tell me." She begged as Amaury bit his tongue; the boy's words still fresh on his mind from their haunting presence during the battle. "He told me that we shouldn't blame ourselves for his death and he… he asked me to watch over you." Amaury replied as Tome bit her lip harder, allowing the tears that had welled up in her eyes to overflow willingly.

"H-He… he did?" She questioned, her heart racing as her tan skin darkened around her cheeks. Did he really ask Amaury to watch after her? He was that worried about her, even though she was the reason that he had died? "But I'm the reason he died… h-how could that be?" Tome questioned, choking on tears as Carina shook her head.

"Don't say that Tome, it wasn't your fault. He wanted to keep you safe." She replied, looking to the boy she loves sitting next to her, knowing well that if it would have been her in trouble Amaury would have done the same exact thing. "He really cared about you… that's what we do for those we love." The boy added as Tome could no longer hold back her tears, crying in silence from her sore throat as Carina stood from her seat and returned to Tome's side after sensing the sadness looming over her. "I-I'm alright." Tome urged her friend as she took her hand in hers and place her other on the injured girl's back gently, watching Amaury look back to the floor, saddened that his story had brought her this pain.

"I'm sorry, I…" He began to apologize before Tome's voice cut him off. "Don't apologize. I… I wanted to know, and I'm glad you told me." Tome replied as she dried her eyes, calming under Carina's comfort. "I just…" She attempted to explain before the door to their room suddenly opened revealing Marcus, still holding the door knob as it slammed into the wall, just as he had done when Amaury was in the hospital.

"There you guys are!" Marcus boomed as he barged his way inside of the single-bed hospital room, followed shortly behind by both Geoff as well as Latty, whose presence there surprised the bedridden girl and her caretakers. "H-Hey!" Tome exclaimed, wiping the lingering tears from her face as Carina shifted herself to help the girl sit up more comfortably; her eyes shifting between the three newcomers equally with a battered grin before focusing on Geoff as he walked forward and stood next to her bed.

"We searched almost the whole hospital before someone was able to tell us what floor you _might_ be on. This place is a wreck, although I guess I can't blame them given the situation at hand." He stated as he placed his hands on his hips, watching as Latty stood awkwardly in the corner of the room as if she was an unwanted guest. "Yeah, luckily Latty was able to point us in the right direction." Marcus added as he walked over and sat next to Amaury, patting him on the back before watching Latty's eyes widen at hearing her name. "I didn't do anything special. I could sense you and Amaury, so I figured I would tell them." She explained as she tried to write off the notion that she had helped much more than that, but Tome smiled regardless. "Well thank you anyway, Latty. I appreciate you coming to see me." She said as the red haired woman across the room nodded with a small smile and turned back to Geoff as he spoke again.

"They said that you blacked out, and to be honest I was expecting to find you in a coma, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we are relieved that you are alright. Any word on what happened?" Geoff questioned as Tome shook her head. "Not yet, but they said it should be soon." The girl replied as her squad leader nodded and stepped forward to sit in a chair alongside the bed before turning to look towards Amaury, who now leaned forward and held his head up with his hand in Carina's absence. "I'm sure everything will be okay. We took quite a beating today, but everyone did excellent. They will think twice before coming looking for another fight, if they could even find us, that is." He stated, his eyes still focused on the unaware boy while Tome cleared her burning throat. "How many did we lose?" She asked, bringing Amaury's attention forward towards her at her question and then towards Geoff, who he now knew had been staring at him the whole time.

"You shouldn't be worrying about that right now. You just need to focus on getting better." He replied, looking to Tome and then back to Amaury. "The both of you." He added as Amaury's eyes lowered down to the floor. He didn't have to say it as nobody there had to be told that the loses they had encountered were egregious for they had seen it with their own eyes. "Yes sir." Tome replied in a sarcastic tone jokingly as once again returned to the curly-haired girl in the hospital gown. "Watch it, don't forget I will be the one deciding when you will return to active duty!" Geoff replied as they all laughed including Carina, who watched her exhausted lover with lingering concern.

Knowing that Doctor Emerson was likely waiting for them somewhere in the hospital, Carina gently stood from the Tome's bed and walked over to the two men, placing a hand on Amaury's shoulder as she smiled to him and then turned to Marcus. "Hey Marcus, can I speak with you outside for a second?" She asked as Marcus looked up in confusion and then nodded.

"Sure." He replied, bringing Amaury to stand as well before Carina shook her head. "No, its okay Amaury. It's not important and will only take a second, okay?" Carina replied as Latty and Tome continued to laugh at Geoff's original joke as well as a small follow up one, bringing the boy to look to them and nod. "Alright." He replied as she smiled, kissed his cheek and walked out into the hallway; Marcus doing the same with a gentle nudge to Amaury's elbow.

"What's up?" The man asked, watching as the door closed and Carina turned around to face him. "Are you guy's going to be around for a while? After everything that has happened I really want Doctor Emerson to look at Amaury, but I don't want to leave Tome alone... just in case something happens. Can you stay with her until we get back?" Carina asked as the man turned to watch the somber Amaury through the window as he silently watched the conversation between the rest of his friends. When he first met Amaury he would have never guessed that he would turn out to be such an excellent pilot, nor did he think the boy held such hate and bloodlust. Did he simply hide it, or could this conflict have changed him that much? Surely war lingered in his blood from he had told about his parents, but this was much more than that.

"I think that's a good idea. For a while there I wasn't sure if he would ever snap out of it." Marcus replied as he turned back to Carina and nodded. "I'm not going to leave her alone, don't worry. But I mean, if you want, I can take Amaury to get looked at. That way you can stay with Tome." He replied as Carina smiled and shook her head, waiting for a group of nurses to walk by before continuing.

"I appreciate the offer, but I really think I should be there with him. Plus, if Emerson says that something he did created this and that there was no way back from it, I want to kill him myself." She snapped back as Marcus laughed, trying not to be too loud in the quiet hospital hallway. "Yeah, I've got you. I will watch after Tome." Marcus agreed as the girl in front of him smiled and opened the room door, once again stepping inside. "We will be right back, alright Tome?" She asked as Tome smiled, all eyes in the room shifting to the two as Amaury stood and walked towards the door.

"Go ahead, I will be here. I think." The girl asked as Carina stared at her with a look of playful disdain at her remark. "You better be or I will bring you back to life so I can kill you myself!" She replied, taking Amaury's hand and leading him from the room as they all broke out into laughter once more.

Landing on Dresden around the same time that both the _Bastille_ , _Samuel Raditz_ and their crews made it to Achilles, Douglas set out to assist wherever he could; docking his moderately damaged Zakum carefully before exiting and making his way to the ground level into the hordes of evacuees. The artificial gravity had been negated within the docks as it had been on the other colonies assisting in the evacuation, making it easier moving the refugees while at the same causing a bit of a disruption in the flow of personnel and resources. Reaching the bottom of the staircase the pilot came face to face for the first time with the massive influx of displaced civilians from Pharros, staggering him in his step.

So many had been affected by the disaster that it seemed almost sickening to think about. Could the remaining colonies house this many people? When they left Side 3 the population of the three depopulated and abandoned colonies was distributed comfortably amongst the six that remained, and now it seemed they would once again become overpopulated, or at least until they reached Hagen, if it was still there. Not wanting to freelance Douglas scanned his eyes through the crowd, searching for anyone filling a leadership role in the Port Authority's evacuation teams until he became annoyed and walked off into the crowd to find someone; a task that took nearly ten minutes to complete due to the sheer amount of people present in the hangar bays. Approaching a Dresden official Douglas sighed, annoyed by just how long it had taken as he did so.

"Hey!" He called out loudly over the commotion, causing the Port Authority officer in front of him to turn towards him angrily while looking down at his paperwork. "Look, you are just going to have to check the lists of those brought over already, or wait-" He began to strictly instruct Douglas as he looked up from his clipboard and froze at the sight of the man's flight suit as it became clear he was a pilot for the New Republic. "O-Oh, my apologies sir, I thought for sure you were another refugee trying to find out where their family is." He stated with a salute as he tried to explain himself; the gesture catching him off guard. A salute _and_ a sir? It had been a long time since he had heard or seen either of those things.

"I just want to know where you need help." Douglas replied as he looked off towards the hordes of people disembarking a series of small shuttles brought in and docked off to the sides to allow the main lane to remain clear. Most of the smaller, faster shuttles were directed to Dresden to allow the slower, lumbering freighters access to a closer drop point, but he knew that sooner or later they would begin to progress further into the now halted colony convoy.

"Well sir, we could use help keeping the flow of refugees moving out of the lane and into the main colony itself." The Authority officer stated, bringing the man to nod and agree, accepting the task at hand. "Got it." He replied as he turned and made his way towards the nearest column of people to escort them into the main colony. These people were not originally his people and even though Latty seemed to be forming some kind of connection to them that he had yet to develop himself, he found that sitting idle in a time like this was impossible.

Continuing to assist with the offload for some time, Douglas found himself quickly tired out. Between the battle and running back and forth escorting wave after wave of refugee shipment, he had nearly spent every bit of energy his body could produce. "Let's go, keep moving. More are on the way and we need to get you out of here, now!" He demanded, walking alongside the line of evacuees, waving them on until two stepped forwards towards him; a young man and woman carrying a baby that couldn't have been more than a few months old. "Sir? Sir! Where are we going?" The man asked as Douglas looked to him, still waving the others on.

"We are moving all of the refugees into the inner city where we can get everyone checked in and registered. Now please keep moving." He stated as the woman spoke next. "But where are we going to live; are they going to move us to another colony?" She asked, bringing the pilot to sigh. "Look, we are doing our best. Just… head inside, get a bottle of water and try to relax for the time being. As soon as the last of the refugees arrive at all points we will be further instructed on what to do." Douglas replied before shifting his vision to the large airlock doors as a loud buzzing alarm signifies the arrival of another shuttle, though the feeling in his head indicated otherwise.

"Now please keep moving, another vessel is coming in to offload and we need as much space as we can get." He instructed as he motioned for the couple he had been speaking with to move, his eyes locked to the large blast doors as the opened and revealed the Scarlet Glint as it gently hovered in place, awaiting clearance to move through the crowded hangar. Lacking traditional legs in a positive-gravity environment the suit relied on downward thrust to keep itself airborne and as such the entire mobile suit lane and considerable distance around it had to be evacuated for the machine to advance, especially since it's severed propellant tank smoked and burned inside of what remained of the shell.

Stepping to the side as he and a slew of other workers formed a safety line he watched the machine progress forward into the hangar and make its way down to a specific dry dock at the far end of the land designed to handle the machine's unusual size. "Come on, keep moving!" Douglas shouted out as the Glint neared his area, gently guiding his group of civilians away from the harmful superheat downward thrust the machine generated as it moved past them; the man following the red machine's track as it did so. He knew the second that she entered the docks it was her behind the blast doors and while he had not had much of a conversation with her before, there was a question looming on the tip of his tongue that he felt needed to be answered.

Motioning for another of the ground crewman to approach the pilot waited until the man was almost to him before turning to follow the damaged mobile suit on its path. "I'll be right back, take my post." He instructed as he began to walk away without giving his relief much of an option in the matter, heading straight for what he knew was going to be the machine's resting spot.

Setting her injured machine down as carefully as possible Elise remained in an emotional state filled evenly with frustration and confusion. She had come so close to victory against her newest rival only to be torn from her kill at the last moment. Removing her helmet as the Glint finished it's power-down cycle, the woman sighed. How could she have allowed herself to fall victim to Geoff's words? Was this just another sign of just how much her mind had been corrupted by her time in the presence of these people? A year ago she would have never let anyone come between her and her kill, let alone someone she had known for little more than a few months, and never would she have smiled while doing it. What was happening to her? Why did she listen to him, and why was he acting so weird about telling her what he felt her worth was? Why wouldn't he just tell her?

The light from her now deactivated panoramic cockpit display fading she set her helmet to the side and unstrapped herself from her Psycommu seat, sensing a presence approaching her cockpit. From the feeling she knew it would be either Douglas or Latty standing on the other side of that door as the two possessed a nearly identical signature, though she felt like speaking to neither of them at the particular moment. Nevertheless she knew that she could not spend forever inside of the machine and opened the door to Douglas's gaze a moment later.

"You alright?" He asked as pilots often did, checking on one another even if they did not know the pilot in question, though the woman seemed less intent on keeping such traditions. "I am fine." She replied in a cold, unengaging tone as she attempted to step past the man who could sense that she was not in the mood for games, and lucky for her neither was he. "Alright well, in that case, I have a question." Douglas began as Elise shook her head. "I'm busy." She replied, again trying to step past him though this time he deliberately moved to block her path.

"Listen," He began, stepping in front of the woman as she scowled and looked away, unpleased by his interfere. "I know we've never talked before and you've got this whole don't-give-a-fuck attitude going on, but hear me out. It's about that boy you seem to have put so much faith in." The man added as her eyes shot back to Douglas, peering at him from their corners. Amaury? He was speaking about Amaury, wasn't he? Who else could it have been?

"Amaury?" She asked in order to clarify her suspicion to which Douglas nodded ,removing his blocking arm from the Scarlet Glint's frame. "Yeah, him; the movement pilot with the anger issues. Just like you he's no ordinary Newtype, is he?" He questioned as Elise's vision remained locked to the man. Ordinary Newtype? Did Amaury do something again? Was it the same as last time? "What do you mean?" She asked in a stern tone, ignoring his comment about her being unordinary as well as Douglas crossed his arms.

"You didn't feel it? His presence?" He asked, looking out in the distance at another arriving shuttle as Elise stood still. "I've felt his presence before, as have you. It is unique and strong, but nothing more. What is the problem?" She replied as the man before her scoffed. "Problem? You mean he wasn't distorting your senses too? I know you were further from him than the rest of us at that point, but I thought for sure you would have felt it too. He was literally putting so much pressure on Latty and I that it was hard to even concentrate, almost like he was overloading our abilities. We had to rely solely on our skills to remain in the fight." Douglas replied as Elise's attention fully returned to the man at the mention of Amaury's psychic presence, bringing her stare in silence.

"Overloading?" She question with intrigue now in her voice while thinking about what this exactly meant. Without having experienced what this man spoke of herself she could not exactly imagine what he meant, but if it truly was causing disruption to their Newtype senses to such a degree that it became impossible to focus or use their senses, it would mean that the boy was simply more than a psychopathic yet powerful Newtype.

"Yeah. It made it seem like he was coming from every direction, attacking and evading all at once. It didn't matter that we were allies, and as far as I can tell he didn't have any intent to do harm on either of us, so it doesn't make sense. All I know was that it hurt and was fucking annoying." Douglas replied as Elise's eyes drifted off past the man to the empty bay across from them. A Newtype was capable of doing many things but overloading Newtype senses, whether it be on purpose or unintentionally, was something she had never heard of before. "When did you first notice this diversion from the norm? It must have been after Tome and I followed Tegan out away from the colonies." Elise responded without looking to the man who turned his head towards her to a brief moment before returning it back out to the crowded hangar.

"Yeah, right after the remainder of the Federal forces attacked the evacuation fleet. He started acting more fucked up than normal and the closer he came towards us from Achilles the stronger it became." He replied, adding another perplexing piece to the puzzle. If she knew the boy how she believed, he likely would have been in some sort of rage; a rage likely exacerbated by both the danger his beloved was placed in as well as the stress caused by the first use of his SICOS.

She had seen some of this stress when he spoke of Tegan as if he were Delacout during their team battle against the man, but was it possible it was something more than that? Could that have triggered some unseen ability within him? There had been rumors that following the One Year War experiments were conducted to try and create anti-Newtype Newtypes, but from what she had heard most of these experiments had failed long before any fruition. These Newtype killers were intended to defeat the strongest of Federal heroes but those who had been augmented fell victim themselves to the procedures or unforeseen complications while embryos genetically modified prior to birth never grew to be fully developed or even born.

Although, while she had never been told so, Elise had always assumed she may be one of such experiments given the natural abilities she possessed, all of which seemed to revolve solely around her implied purpose to destroy other Newtypes. If that were true and he was one of these children it would mean they were much more alike than she had initially assumed. Adding to her suspicions was the fact that it was widely known in the remaining Zeon community that Axis Zeon, the place of his conception and where he had spent most of his development inside of his mother's womb, had conducted these experiments and trials aboard their homeworld. Could this actually be the case?

Feeling the uneasy silence that came over them as she stated past him in obviously deep thought, Douglas sighed. "Well?" He asked as the woman's eyes returned to his with the same blank emotion she had harbored before. "Do you have an answer or are you just going to keep staring at me?" He added as Elise remained staring for a moment or two more before looking away, formulating her reply carefully. "I don't know." She replied in a calm voice, using all of her training to make her confession seem real as Douglas blinked in confusion.

"You don't know?" He questioned in disbelief. How could she not know? He may not have known much about the woman before him, but he did understand that she was herself a powerful Newtype who based on the training and help she had provided to both Amaury and Tome knew quite a bit about the Newtype theory and even the science behind it. How could this be possible?

"That is what I said, isn't it." She replied in an equally stern tone as Douglas continued to stare. While lying was not one of her favorite things to do, she felt as if it was the right thing for the moment. She could have easily told Douglas about Axis, the experiments and her theory, but even though he was a Newtype himself she did not fully understand his intentions. Only those Newtypes who stood together for the further evolution and the survival of their people could be trusted, and until she was proven otherwise, he and Latty were not one of these people. Crossing her own arms she sighed and stepped forward past the pilot who did not stop her this time who had obviously fell for her lie about not having a clue as to why Amaury was so unique.

"Once again, I have things to do." She stated as she walked by in the opposite direction of the hordes of people entering the hangar, waiting until she further away to look over her shoulder to make sure the man had not attempted to follow. If Amaury was truly one of these children, it was a secret best kept from anyone who might use the information against him. Watching from the corner of his own eye Douglas sighed as well. "Whatever." He mumbled under his breath before heading back towards his previous task of escorting the evacuees. If she didn't know then he wouldn't continue to seek the answer, at least not for the time being. There was a lot to do anyway, and to him Amaury remained nothing more than a man, regardless of his freakish abilities.

Having heard exactly what effects the usage of the SICOS system had on the boy from both Carina and the video feed collected by his mobile suit's data recorder, Emerson remained stumped. As he had mentioned the system had never before been tested on a true Newtype, so everything being presented to him was brand new. What he could deduce however was that his reaction seemed similar to those who suffered from known mental illnesses, primarily those that affected cognitive and rational thought, leading him to believe that it could have been a similar case.

"Sensory overload." Emerson stated after a long period of silence as he looked up towards the two lovers, both of which sat next to one another on the exam table before him with their fingers intertwined. "Sensory overload? What do you mean?" Carina asked, knowing of the term but unsure of its usage in the doctor's diagnosis. "What I _mean_ is sensory overload. It's the only explanation I could think of to why he was acting that way. Well, that and a touch of post traumatic stress disorder. Based on the auditory and visual hallucinations as well as the animal-like rage he was exhibiting, it is my best assumption." Emerson responded as he took a small drink from his flask; his eyes watching the girl's worried face turn towards her lover. She hadn't known about the flashbacks or the hallucinations until he described them to Emerson and herself, but knowing now that this was what he had been fighting against during his time out there she could feel her stomach and heart twisting into knots.

Was this because of the everything they had been through? Did the memories he was reliving really cause him that much pain and fear? Feeling her gaze upon him Amaury slowly turned towards her, making eye contact for a second before the returned to the floor and a sense of sadness washed over him. Post traumatic stress disorder and sensory overload? Had his mind really been damaged? Feeling his sadness Carina looked back to Emerson with a squeeze of the boy's hand amidst the deafening silence that had fallen over the three of them.

"Is he going to be alright now? He never showed signs of PTSD before using the SICOS, it had to have had something to do with this. What about the nose bleed, did it injure his brain as well?" She asked as Emerson capped his flask and placed it back into his pocket. "I believe the sensory overload part of that equation may have caused major issues in his mind, but the PTSD has likely been forming for some time. Look at the events he claims to have seen and heard. His friend's death, the intensity of the battle's he has fought in, the men he has killed; these are all classic, battle-related stressors that lead to the formation of the disorder." The doctor replied as the thoughts of these moments returned back to Amaury's mind, bringing him to gently squeeze Carina's hand despite the fact that they were simply memories now rather than visual and auditory nightmares.

Seeing this, Emerson's eyes narrowed on the boy as he continued to stare at the floor of the hospital examination room in exhaustion. "However, I will say that this was all likely greatly exacerbated by his sudden and ill-advised use of the SICOS system without the proper acclimation in a controlled environment, and the blood that ran from his nose was a burst vessel inside of his head somewhere, but it seems to have alleviated since then. I warned him something like this could happen, and…" He began again, stopping as Carina's scowl shot to him in anger, causing him to bite his tongue.

"Well. You know." He instead ended with, clearing his throat while running his hand through his long beard. "So to answer your question, yes; it should get better and he should be alright, despite his clearly broken state. We can train him with the SICOS so that hopefully this does not happen again, but these memories... they may linger for some time, and there is nothing I can do about that. That is something only you can fix, Mrs. Dietrich."

Hearing Emerson's reply the girl's face darkened a bit, instantly recalling the woman she had encountered on her initial shuttle journey to Pharros. She too had referred to her as Amaury's wife, which at the time brought her a slight joy and flutter in her heart; a joy and flutter that now returned once more as she looked to the boy beside her. Could she fix what this war had done to him? She certainly would try, no matter what she had to do or how long it took.

He was her responsibility, both now and forever. Feeling her eyes once again staring at him, Amaury slowly looked towards her in embarrassment of his now defective mind as Carina nodded her head and smiled lovingly towards him. "I will." She whispered as Emerson, in the slightly inebriated stated he found himself in following the stress of the battle and the amount the Heaven's End whiskey he had consumed, made a disgusted yet joking facial expression before standing from the chair he sat in.

"Good, I will setup the SICOS training in a few days. So until said training is complete, you are going to stay on light duty. And I don't mean 'light duty as long as we don't get attacked again' either, I mean 'light duty come hell or high-fucking-water'. Do you understand me?" The doctor asked as Carina looked to him and then back to Amaury, who after another brief moment of staring nodded slowly to agree. He knew that it was not only for the best, but more importantly what Carina wanted.

"Yes." He simply replied as Carina smiled once again and turned back to Emerson. "I will make sure he gets some rest. Thank you Doctor." The girl responded as Emerson stretched and shook his head. "Ah, don't worry about it. Like it or not, the kid is my most prized patient now. Maybe this will be my next big thing; 'Newtype Cybernetic Enhancements by Emerson'!" He joked with a hearty, drunken laugh, holding his hands out as if he was reading from a billboard before turning to walk away, saying his goodbyes and heading out of the door, leaving the two alone once again.

Sensing Amaury's lingering sadness, Carina immediately turned herself towards her love and placed both of her hands over his with a gentle squeeze. "Its okay, we will get through this." She said softly as his eyes returned to hers and froze, shifting between each eye as his mouth opened to speak. Was he useless now? What if he never returned, what would his purpose be then?

"Do… do you think I'm broken? The way he talked, I… I don't know if I'll ever be able to fly again. What if I don't get use to the SICOS and this keeps happening to me? I… I didn't even tell him about Sam and my father, I..." He asked after a long pause, freezing once more as he swallowed nervously. "Do… do you believe me? About Sam… and my dad?" He asked, staring into her eyes with a nervous desire that upon seeing her nod burst into relief.

" I believe you, Amaury." She replied, sliding closer to him on the table and resting her head down on his shoulder. "I know that you wouldn't lie, especially not to Tome and not about something like that. But please stop saying you are broken, because you are not." She added as she looked up to him with a smile, further easing his anxious demeanor as his own smile returned. Even in his darkest hours she always seemed to cheer him up and put his mind at ease.

"Thank you." He replied, nuzzling his head against hers as she laughed under her breath. "Besides, even if you really were broken I would just have to worker harder to fix you." She added, kissing his cheek as he closed his eyes. "I love you, my Carina." Amaury whispered as she her smile widened. "And I love you too, my Amaury." Carina responded with a loving coo, lingering in their embrace for a moment or two longer before sliding off of the table.

"We should get back to Tome and the others. Hopefully they will know what is wrong with her now." The girl stated, holding her hand out for her love to take a moment later as he too stood up onto his feet and their eyes met once again. How was it possible that he deserved someone like her; someone who made the years he spent alone worth the wait. "Lead the way, Mrs. Dietrich." He replied in his own passionate hum, bringing her to blink and blush heavily in surprise. He didn't react when Emerson said it earlier so she had assumed he didn't hear the words leave the man's mouth. "Stop!" She whined playfully in reply, pecking his lips before leading him out into the crowded hallway of the hospital, destined once more for Tome's side.

Entering back into the room to the sound of laughter, Carina smiled to Tome, who immediately turned towards her with a happy grin. "Hey guys." She called, glad to have her closest friend back with her as Carina waved to everyone. "Well? Did they come back yet?" She asked as Tome shook her head, watching Amaury enter behind the girl and return to his seat next to Marcus and while Carina sat by her side once again.

"No, not yet. It should be soon though. What did that old geezer have to say about Amaury?" Tome questioned as Carina looked to him with a compassionate smile for a moment before returning back to her friend. "He will be okay, but he's back on light duty until Emerson feels he is ready to return. His connection to the SICOS was not complete and was causing him to act strange, so he wants Amaury to get better acquainted to it before using it in combat again." She stated, keeping his condition a secret for the time being in an effort to keep him from feeling any worse than he already did, though Tome knew it was more than that. With the way he had been acting, it was more than a simple glitch in his machine.

"That's good to hear." Tome replied, playing along with Carina's charade as once more Marcus patted Amaury on the back. "Don't worry buddy, you and Tome will be back to it in no time. Besides, its not like the Federation will find us or Hagen again any time soon, so you've got all the time in the world." The man stated as Amaury looked to him with a small grin before turning towards Geoff who, while remained sitting in the chair next to Tome's bed, nodded in agreement and began to speak. "He's right. You two really just need to rest and focus on recovery. There will be a time to fight again, but that is not right now. Understood?" Their commanding officer asked in repetition of what he had said earlier to which the both of them nodded in agreement as Marcus laughed before turning to the window on the room's door.

On the other side he could see a doctor approaching; his eyes set on Tome's room, bringing the man to believe he carried the news they had waited for hours to hear. "Well Tome, I think this is your man coming now." He stated as Latty moved herself away from the door in expectation of the doctor, placing herself against the wall next to Marcus right as the door opened, revealing the doctor Marcus spoke of; a younger doctor, maybe in his mid thirties with handsome features and dark brown hair.

"Tome Himare?" He asked as Tome nodded. "Yes, that's me." She replied, bringing the doctor to shut the door and move to the side of the bed Geoff sat near as he extended his hand out towards her. "Hello, I am Albert Franks, one the doctors here at Achilles Memorial Hospital and I will be handling your care for the time being. It says here you were brought in after passing out following your return from battle, is that correct? Would you mind telling me what happened?" He questioned as Tome nodded once more, shaking his hand in the process. "Yes sir. I came to check on my friend after I landed, and when I did so I became really dizzy and passed out. The doctor who was in here earlier stated that the combination of dehydration, malnourishment and being banged around in combat likely pushed my body too far." Tome answered as Dr. Franks sat down on the edge of the bed and stared into her blooded eyes, carefully lifting her eyelids up past their exhausted state to take a better look.

"Yes, that is what it seems. But I see Dr. Kubeck ordered a series of tests earlier today to double check for any sort of internal damage or issues. Because we are so busy I haven't looked at the results yet, but I can tell you the dehydration and malnourishment didn't come from battle and that type of thing doesn't usually just happen overnight. Have you been feeling well recently?" He next questioned as the girl shook her head.

"No, and I know that was the earlier doctor's concern as well. I've been nauseous and a unable to eat well for the past week or so, and I figured it was just the flu or food poisoning or something, but he wanted to double check just to make sure; especially following the combat we saw today." She replied as Albert nodded in understanding, taking notes in his own notepad as he did so. "Well let's see what the results from the testing show, shall we? Hopefully it can shed some light on this situation and we can get you treated for whatever it is that is bothering you." The doctor responded as he opened the the folder before him and began to read through the different testing segments.

"You do have some bruising it seems on some of your internal organs, all of which are consistent with battle and will more than likely heal on their own; so no worries there." He stated as he flipped through the scans and moved onto her blood work panels. Several lines into the page however his guiding finger stopped and his eyes widened, bringing those in the room who watched him to tense up, including the patient whose results he read through.

"Is there something wrong?" Tome questioned as she lifted her head a bit to try and see over the edge of the paper before her eyes redirected towards the doctors as he looked up to her with a brief pause. "Miss Himare it would appear that you are… well, pregnant." He stated, lowering the paperwork in his hands down to his lap as everyone in the room held their breath and the room grew eerily silent, leading him to look around at all of the shocked faces.

"W-What…?" Tome asked as her eyes widened further and further with each passing second, remaining locked to the man who sat opposite of Carina on her bed. "Yes, it would appear so. It would explain why you've been feeling so nauseous as well as a change in appetite, though usually it is the opposite change, making you more hungry as opposed to less, and a growing baby inside of a mother without adequate nutrition intake will cause dehydration and malnourishment." Franks responded as the crowd around him remained staring.

"H-How… how could I… everything has been normal, I…" Tome stuttered as the doctor shook his head. "Every woman's body reacts differently during the early stages of pregnancy. It is possible that without testing you could have remained unaware for some time." As the doctor responded and tears began to form in Tome's eyes, a visibly shaken Geoff shifted his gaze to the floor. Who was the father? As far as he knew she and Sam had only dated for a short period of time, so it seemed unlikely though not impossible. But if it wasn't Sam, then who was it? Their group of friends had been tightly woven and that bond only seemed to grow stronger following Sam's death, and she had been spending copious amounts of time with them. Could it have been a one night stand to deal with the grief?

Looking to the other end of the room his eyes first focused to Amaury, though after a moment he knew couldn't have been him; he loved Carina too much to ever do something like this, no matter the circumstances at hand. Who else had spent that much time with her? "Marcus…?" He asked as he stared at the man, locking eyes with him for a second or two before the man realized what Geoff's gaze was intended to signify, bringing him to shake his head rapidly.

"WHAT?! Don't look at me, I-I didn't do anything!" He exclaimed as he held his hands out in front of him in a denying motion, drawing Latty's own suspicions of the pilot's lifestyle as Geoff spoke. "Oh yeah? You look pretty suspicious to me Marcus." Geoff began to say as Tome interrupted, sobbing as tears ran down her cheeks once again. "S-Stop it!" She ordered as all eyes turned from the two men's squabble back to her, waiting for her to gather her thoughts to speak again. "M-Marcus didn't do anything, I-It's…" She cried out, choking as she did so. "It's S-Sam's..."

At the mention of the boy's name, Amaury's eyes immediately widened and the memory of his promise to him flashed before his eyes, causing him to grunt under his breath. Could this be why Sam wanted him to watch over her? Did he know she was carrying his child that day when they met once again?

Almost as if she could read his thoughts Tome's eyes connected to his, thinking the same thing he did. Could this really be what Sam wanted? What would he say to her if he was still alive? Would he be happy? Placing her hand over her stomach she looked back to Dr. Franks, realizing now that not only had she unintentionally been starving the baby inside of her, she had also trained under Elise's harsh methods as well as fought in battle, exposing the baby to all sorts of unknown dangers.

"I flew and t-trained with it inside of me, b-but I d-didn't know..." She thought out loud, her mind shifting from the initial shock of the pregnancy to now concern for its life, showing both herself and those in the room just how deeply connected to Sam she was. "I-Is the baby alright? I… g-god, I didn't hurt it did I?!" She cried out, as Franks held his hand out to calm her down.

"Whoa, relax Tome, relax. It is okay. This early in a pregnancy there shouldn't have been any harm done to the baby and as far as we can tell everything is normal." He stated as she stared at him in silence before hiding her face in her hands to continue to cry, relieved in knowing that she hadn't hurt her unborn child. How could she have allowed this to happen? How was she going to raise a child, especially with the war still going on; a war that surely she would no longer be a part of. Feeling the emotional storm rising inside of her, Carina once again too her friend's hand, looking into her eyes with a sad smile as she turned to her to thank her, only to be cut off from doing so as Franks spoke again.

"Based on your concern for the baby I am assuming you plan to maintain the pregnancy. If so, we will start you on the appropriate regiment of prenatal vitamins for the child's development. But just know that if you wish not to proceed forward with the pregnancy, there are options. You don't have to bear a child that you didn't want or-" The doctor began to explain as Tome's attention shot back to him in anger. She couldn't even fathom the thought of not keeping Sam's child, especially not knowing what he would have wanted, so how could he even suggest such a thing as terminating it's life?!

"I am not going to kill my baby!" She growled, despite the fact that she understood the doctor was simply informing her of her options, catching him off guard in the process. Looking down at her stomach for a moment, Tome's eyes shifted to her friends, and then back to the doctor as she sighed. "I'm sorry." She apologized with lingering tears as the doctor grinned a bit. "No need to apologize. I understand that this is a difficult situation." He replied with a slightly nervous chuckle. Knowing that there was much more to this story than he did knew, he would not hold the girl's explosive attitude against her, and as he closed her folder he stood from the bed and placed one hand in his pocket.

"So, as we discussed, I will write the scripts for the medications we believe will be best for your baby. Obviously this will involve light-duty and no more piloting for the duration of your pregnancy, and we will likely keep you with us here in the hospital for a few days, just to monitor you and make sure everything really is alright with both you and the baby. But for now you should just rest and be with your friends here. If there is anything you need, just use the call button to your side of flag down a nurse. We will also be in periodically to check on you, Alright?" The doctor stated as Tome nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks in vein as they continued to form. "Thanks Doc." She replied as he smiled and turned to leave, waving to the group of people who had formed around her as he exited the room and shut the door, leaving behind a deafening quiet that flooded the room.

Left in the silence, Tome's mind began to race even faster. She and Sam had allowed this to happen in a time when they needed her the most; how could they have been so stupid?! What would Sam say? Would he want her to keep the child after all, or would he have wanted her to give it up in order to keep herself in the fight? It didn't matter now; this baby was more than just some sort of mistake, it was her last connection to Sam and a part of him.

Looking up from her previous view of the blankets she skimmed through the crowd of her friends, filling with the thoughts of what those around her must think of her. She knew Carina would not judge her, feeling the squeeze of her hand to signify their bond, while as her eyes shifted to Amaury she felt a pain in her heart. He had given so much already, between his leg and mind, and yet he continued on, yearning to be back out there in the fight while she would now be confined to the sidelines. Or Marcus? He had known Sam the longest out of all of them and while she was sure he was posthumously proud of the boy for 'getting it in', what did he really think of their mistake?

And while she had known Latty the least amount of time of anyone else in the room, her opinion mattered as well. However, it wasn't until her eyes shifted to Geoff, who now sat with his arms crossed and a blank expression as he stared at her in thought, that she felt the most judged, and she couldn't blame him. All of this training and resources spent, and for what? For her to tap out before the war was even won? Before they truly gained their independence?

"I… I'm sorry, everyone." She whispered, sniffling as she rubbed her eyes with the open palm of her free hand. "I let you all d-down, I… I'm so sorry." She sobbed, trying to stop the flow of tears from her breaking heart while Geoff continued to stare for a moment more before Carina's voice broke both of their thoughts. "Stop it, Tome. You didn't let us down." She responded as Marcus chimed in, standing up from his chair as Latty's eyes locked to him.

"Yeah come on, don't say that. We all make mistakes, but this one… this one is not as bad as it seems." The man stated, his words finally bringing Geoff to speak; the sight of his mouth opening causing Tome to wince as if she expected him to yell, though what he actually said was far from angry. "They are right Tome. Sure, it is inconvenient, and we could certainly use your help out there if they come back to try and destroy us again. But at the same time, what's inside you is not only your own child, but a piece of Sam; a piece of an amazing person that I know we all miss dearly." Their leader said in a strong yet compassionate tone, bringing Carina to smile as she too thought Geoff's words may have ended up being punitive.

Inspired by Geoff's words, Marcus grinned and nodded. "That's right. Plus, I'm sure once we find Sam's parents they will want to meet the woman bearing his child." He added, though at his words both Tome and Geoff turned to him with a disheartened look.

Confused, Marcus looked at the two of them for a moment or two as once again Tome tried her best not to cry. "What? What did I say?" He asked as Geoff looked to Tome, and then back to Marcus with a sigh. "It's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around at everyone.

"I haven't told anyone besides Tome this yet, but… as of last week Sam's parents were located. Unfortunately, both his mother, father as well as his grandparents were killed on his home colony of Cybele during the uprising." Geoff replied, his tone having shifted from compassion to sorrow as the atmosphere of the room reflected his own, affecting everyone including Amaury, who could immediately feel the situation deep in his heart. Just as his mother had been left pregnant and alone by father's death, so now had Tome by Sam's. "T-This baby is that last of his f-family." Tome stated as she looked to Carina and then to others.

"I'm s-so afraid, guys. You all understand, b-but my father… he's not going to be s-so easily accepting. If he… I'll be all a-alone." She cried, biting her lip harder to fight the trembling as Carina could no longer stand to see her suffer, feeling her fear as it radiated from her like the sun. Moving closer she carefully wrapped her arm around her back, bringing her into a hug to comfort her while watching from the corner of eye as Amaury stood and walked towards them. "You won't be alone." He stated, coming to a rest by Carina's side on the bed as he placed a hand on Tome's leg and the other on Carina's lower back, bringing her to smile.

"He's right. Even if your father doesn't understand, you will never be alone. We are your family, Tome." Carina stated as now both Marcus and Geoff joined in. "Yeah, and you'll never be able to get rid of us." Marcus beamed as he sat opposite of Carina and Amaury on the bed while at the same time Geoff stood at Tome's shoulder, placing a hand on it with a big smile to signify that he too felt the same exact way.

Stunned by the love and support of her friends, Tome looked to each of them individually before slowly forming a smile across her lips. "I… I l-love you guys… all of you. You… y-you…" She choked out before immediately beginning to cry again loudly, wrapping her arms around the three who sat on the bed as she pulled them into a group hug as Geoff laughed, knowing now that at least some of her tears were that of happiness.

But from the corner of his eye he spotted something; Latty as she remained standing alone against the wall with a small smile on her face as she watched the sight unfold. "Get over Latty." He said with a grin as the woman turned to him, tilting her head in confusion. "Hmm? No, no, I don't-" She began to reply though at the sudden sight of all of them staring at her she stopped. "C'mon, you are a part of this family whether you like it or not! Douglas too!" Carina stated as Marcus laughed, bringing a blush across Latty's face.

"O-Oh, I…" She tried respond or think of an excuse not to join them, but upon failing to do so the woman exhaled nervously and walked towards the bed until she stood by Geoff's side. "Good choice." Geoff joked as Tome broke her hug and allowed them to relax; the others simply staying by their friend to offer her whatever comfort and support she needed. They certainly were not the type of people she had grown up with, but then again maybe this change was for the better. It certainly was nice not constantly worrying who was going to double cross them and put their lives in danger, and she couldn't help but admire the feeling that she could trust them, even with life.

"They seem really close." She stated, turning her eyes towards Geoff as the man laughed. "Give it time, you'll see why. Just careful you don't get sucked into it as well; they'll never let you go." He joked as Latty turned back to them, this time finding Marcus staring at her discreetly from the corner of his eyes. Locking eyes with him for a moment until he broke away with a smile, leaving her with her own small grin. Would that be such a bad thing?


	34. Chapter 34: Kindred

Two days after the events the resulted in the loss of Pharros Admiral Krupp, now known throughout the New Republic as Acting Premier, delivered a speech to the wounded nation in both an effort to strengthen the drastically weakened morale as well as to reassure the people that their decision to leave the Federation remained a wise one. With the total loss of life officially placed at roughly seven hundred and twenty one thousand lives between their defense force and those killed on Pharros and another nine hundred thousand wounded in varying severity, this attack was the perfect example of what would have eventually happened to them should they have stayed back in the Earth's Sphere.

In support, his speech held no shortage of praise for everyone who had served in the battle and the evacuation effort, both civilian and military, and about how those who did not survive would forever be remembered by their bravery, heroism and dedication to their freedom.

Meanwhile across the New Republic, local authorities did their absolute best to equally distribute the displaced populace of Pharros amongst the remaining colonies of Dresden, Achilles, Cybele, Stanton and Eckland; the two former being purely high density residential while the three latter were mostly sprawling rural, agricultural plains with several industrial districts and scattered high-population areas throughout.

The challenge was to maintain equilibrium within the colonies by avoiding over-population of any one area and ensuring that the agricultural elements of their society were not compromised since food production was absolutely necessary to their survival, all while doing their best to avoid splitting up families or placing citizens where they could not easily make a living, though at the moment not much was being done in any line of work that did not directly revolve around sustaining life in the colonies or rebuilding the damaged fleet. Economic growth had come to a standstill pending the arrival of their convoy at Hagen since the conditions there were unknown, and with only a staggering eleven mobile suits operational for the defense of the nearly fourteen million people within the Republic, the repair of the NRZ's military became priority.

Back on Achilles, newly expecting mother Tome remained in the hospital's care, undergoing a long series of extensive testing to guarantee the safety and welfare of both mother and child as well as to be treated for her injuries and nutritional issues. Ever loyal to their friend, both Carina and Amaury spent Tome's first night in the hospital by her side while the others returned to their duties, allowing them to watch over Tome as she moved through the initial shock of it all.

In his exhaustion Amaury did not remain awake very long after the others departed and shortly following their leave fell asleep in a chair next to Tome's bed, leaving the two girls free reign to speak about what they wanted. Not much was said that did not directly involve Tome and Sam's child, and through the nearly three hours of conversation the two shared Carina watched as her best friend's mood shifted from the initial sadness and despair to an almost subtle happiness; a suggestion backed by the girl's placement of her hands on her stomach for the majority of the night until she too fell asleep. Seeing the two exhausted pilots she cared so much about her, Carina smiled and slid a chair quietly next to Amaury before taking his hand and falling asleep with her head rested on his shoulder.

But with the new morning came new challenges, as with time the hospital was able to report all of their patients to the NRZ's evacuation command post, allowing the refugees to easily locate their injured family members, which in turn allowed Tome's father Emmett to locate his only daughter and come to her side.

Entering her room a little after nine the next morning he was overjoyed to see that his heroic daughter was alright, but after a short conversation and her confession of what exactly was happening, his smile quickly turned to a frown. Since Tome's involvement in the Movement came to light following the Liberation of Side 3, her father prided himself on just how strong his daughter had become, even going as far as to publicly speak about how he couldn't have asked for any better an heir to his empire.

But now in the light of her revelation, he became worried; both about their family's public image as well as the future for his daughter and unborn grandchild. Despite her father's scolding, Tome held herself together well as Amaury and Carina listened from outside of her room, only growing visibly upset at her father's mention of her deceased mother and what she would think of the entire situation, prompting her two friends to become involved as they both entered the room to break up the fight.

With the situation settled and their heads cooled significantly, as well as the emotional and verbal support she received from her team, Tome was able explain just what had happened to her father. About her and Sam's feelings, how it must have happened and about the boy's tragic and heroic end, bringing further tears to her eyes as she spoke of it all. In the end, seeing and hearing his daughter's tale of love, loss and her future to come, Emmett's heart softened and his tone changed, embracing his daughter with a long hug and apologizing for what he had said as well as promising to support her wholeheartedly from this point forward.

Returning from visiting Tome on the evening of her third day in the hospital the two drove down the main roadway connecting Dresden's docks to the inner city, now crowded with vehicles moving refugees around the colony to their temporary housing assignments. "So, what would you like for dinner?" Carina asked as she looked over to her sleepy passenger with a smile, knowing that there was no way he couldn't be hungry. They had gone now without a meal for almost a whole day, skipping out on eating at the hospital to help alleviate the shortage of food in the overcrowded facility. "I'm not sure, honestly. Whatever you feel like. I'm just your helper anyway." He replied with a smile as he looked back to his Carina while she shook her head.

"Don't say that babe, you are more than just a helper; we are equal partners." She replied, turning to watched the road carefully before laughing under her breath. "If anything you are my personal sous-chef." The girl joked as Amaury laughed, taking her hand in his while his vision drifted out at the passing skyscrapers around them. He was getting better at walking around and even after just a few days she was able to tell his mind was slowly returning to its normal state as well, though he still held moments where she could feel his emotions overwhelming him; something that was not only hard on him, but her as well.

"How about my grandmother's meat pies? I think you'd like them. Meat, cheese and assortment of vegetables in a crispy yet light breading. Does that sound good?" She asked as Amaury thought about it for a moment and nodded, recalling how he had eaten something that sounded similar a few times from street food vendors on Dresden. "That sounds perfect." He responded as the flow of traffic came to a stop at their arrival at some sort of a roadblock ahead. Seeing how backed up the traffic on the other side of the road had become, Carina sighed.

"If we ever make it to the store, that is." She complained, looking to her right at a side street that many of the backed up cars seemed to be turning down to avoid the blockage. Making her decision, Carina carefully merged into the right-most lane and moved forward until she turning down the street in question, catching a glimpse of what the roadblock was protecting; a tent city temporarily set up to house the influx of refugees until more permanent housing could be located.

"I guess they weren't able to find a place for everyone right away." Amaury stated as Carina briefly stared before returning her eyes to the road. He was right; from what she understood the task was harder than originally predicted, though nobody said it would easy. "No, they weren't. But they will, don't worry. They won't spend more than a night or two there, maybe three at the most." Carina said with a smile, trying to keep the mood positive and light as she did so. She wasn't intentionally trying to baby him or shelter him from the suffering around them, it was just sort of happening, though it was done out of concern for his well being.

As a distraction she temporarily let go of his hand and turned on the radio, which was set to a local channel that was popular even back in Side 3, Radio Tandem. Hosted by a wily talk show host named Richard Tandem, Radio Tandem was split between the most popular music of their time and witty political humor; the former of which Carina had occasionally enjoyed while studying for her internship on Dresden. "Is this okay?" She asked with a curious smile as Amaury's eyes shifted to the radio, listening to the man speak for a moment or two before nodding in agreement.

He had never heard this channel before, but if Carina liked it he would listen to it as well, and at the moment the topic of discussion was Krupp's speech the day prior. While he had initially poked harmless fun at the Admiral, Tandem moved on to a more serious tone, agreeing with what he had said about those who came to their fellow man's aid during the recent attack and once more calling all of those involved heros before dedicating a song out to them, though the popular tune was irrelevant to the subject matter.

"What did you think about the Admiral's speech? I never had the opportunity to ask you." Carina asked, bringing Amaury to look to his love with a bit of confusion. There hadn't been many people over his lifetime that asked for his opinion so hearing she was interested was something that was still new to him. "I think it was what a lot of people needed to hear, just so they don't think we made a mistake leaving the Federation. This is what is best for our people." He replied, as Carina nodded in agreement.

"That is exactly how I feel too. Like he said, if we wouldn't have left who knows would have happened eventually." She added as Amaury nodded in turn, turning his attention back out to the road as they continued down the side streets of the Dresden suburbs, not wanting to even imagine what could have happened to them all eventually. Following the One Year War the Federal government acted against the outspoken objection to the treatment of the colonists in various ways, including allowing their anti-insurgency agency, the Titans, to execute an entire colony with toxic gas.

"At least now whatever our fate is, it lies in our hands." The boy replied before his eye caught something on the street that he seemed faintly familiar with; an old park on the corner of what appeared to have been two busy main roads at one point in time, though it seemed to have been reduced to local traffic now.

Seeing Amaury's attention on the park as they came to a stop at a stoplight, Carina became curious as to what he was thinking. "Do you want to stop there?" She asked as he shook his head. "I've seen this before. A long time ago." He stated as his eyes looked over the open area and its few trees, before focusing on a small pavilion in the center which served as the centerpiece. As he stared at it he was met with a sudden and brief flashback that temporarily turned the world grey around him, filling the air with the sound of children as well as the image of his mother walking down this very street with him in hand.

Disappearing as fast as it came on, Amaury gasped and turned his head back to Carina as they began to move down the road he and his mother had walked all of those years ago. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" She asked, sensing a heightened anxiety from the wide eye boy, though once more he shook his head. "Yeah, I…" He began to speak but paused as they came to yet another roadblock, though this time the scorched and debris-laden street made it clear why. It was clear the homes and businesses before them were damaged during the liberation effort, some of which showed signs of significant fire damage while others were blown apart and collapsed.

This sight was somewhat common following their battle for independence, but when they came closer and he was able to see further down the street he could tell something about this place was more than just familiar, and he soon found himself in another brief flashback. "I… I use to live here." He finally whispered under his breath as his eyes focused on a damaged structure in the distance, bringing Carina to snap her eyes forward as well.

"Really? Which one?" She asked, following his hand as he pointed to a home several buildings down from the intersection, the front half of which was collapsed into a pile of rubble on the sidewalk below and partially burned as well. "That one, I... I haven't been here in so long, I almost forgot where it was." The boy replied as Carina's eyes followed his finger to the building in question. With as much damage as there was she was surprised he could recognise it, especially since he hadn't lived there in quite some time.

"It… it's in pretty bad shape. I'm sorry." She replied in uncertainty as he continued to look out at it for a moment or two more before speaking again. "Do you… do you think we could go look? Just for a minute, I promise." He asked, bringing her to look back at him with a small grin followed by a nod. "Of course, just let me find a place to park."

"Do you still have that crowbar Douglas?" Marcus asked as he fought to knock a jammed 120mm round from the magazine he was trying to load, prying at with his gloved hands with little success. Hearing his question Douglas, who too had been working to load a magazine, turned around and laughed at his grief. "This is the third one you've gotten stuck, what the hell are you doing wrong?" He asked, walking over to the inverted magazine as Marcus huffed and wiped the sweat from his face. Truth be told he did find himself a bit distracted, though he wasn't sure exactly why.

"These things are just so damn finicky; one slip or a hard bump to the retention clip and the whole feed mechanism gets messed up." He explained, taking the bar from his friend's hands to free the jammed round before carefully prying it from the metal 'teeth' that held it in place. "I wish they would find the automatic loader for these damn things. We've been loading them by hand ever since we first acquired the weapons, but we could be doing other things instead of this." He complained as he set the bar down and carefully placed the round into place correctly this time before locking it down with the manual loading mechanism. "Like what else? Do you know how to repair mobile suits, because I sure don't." Douglas questioned as he returned to the magazine he had been loading a few feet away.

"Yeah, I guess you are right. I'd probably just fuck it up worse." Marcus relied with a small laugh as he approached the pile of armor penetration rounds that remained to be loaded into his weapon, neatly secured to a tractor-pulled cart to their side. "Besides, old man Kurin was too cheap to buy one either, so I'm use to loading them by hand." The pilot laughed as he seated another round and locked it into place before sliding the machine down to the next slot to load another, catching Marcus' attention as he did so.

Several times he had heard Douglas mention the late pirate lord, each time with a respectful tone; surprising given the man's existence as a cruel pirate lord. "You seem to speak pretty highly of him, he must have treat you guys well. Even if he was apparently very conservative in the wallet." The dark skinned man stated, almost instantly catching a glare from the pilot to his side.

"He was a fair man." The ex-pirate stated as he loaded yet another round into the magazine. Kurin was many things, but the medium of them all up was 'fair'. "He treated all of his men decent, as long as you did what he paid you for." Douglas continued as his Marcus intently, leaning on the lever of the large loading tool. "If you don't mind the questioning, what exactly was it he paid you and Latty to do?" He asked next as once more Douglas stared at him. What did he want, an autobiography?

"Kill." He simply stated, widening Marcus' eyes a bit. "Kill? That's it?" He inquired as Douglas smirked. "For the most part, yes. In case you haven't seen, we are quite good at it. How else do you think Kurin came out on top of the other pirate clans? Sure, his deal with that Cousland helped greatly, but in the long run the other pirate's had mobile suits of their own and it all came down to the skill of the fighter behind the controls. Didn't Aye tell you all of this? I would have thought for sure he would attempt to drag Kurin's name through the mud as much as possible." He replied, leaving Marcus with a bit of information to analyze before he finally shook his head.

"No. Well, maybe. He mentioned something about how Kurin had used his connections with the Federation to back-door his way into power. Other than that, no." The man replied as Douglas once more chuckled under his breath. "Back-door?" He asked as he continued to laugh. Was that the actual words that Aye and his men used to describe Kurin's rise to power?

"I'm not surprised that those Mallis dogs said that but no, Kurin did not use his advantage to come to power, and simply not because he just felt like it either. He did it to save Heaven's End from destruction."

A bit surprised by Douglas accusation, Marcus remained quiet. After a few years on the colonial police force he became use to people who would attempt to justify criminal action with some sort of excuse to lessen their guilt or the severity. "Destruction at whose hands? Until we saw Heaven's End with our own eyes we had always been told it was just a myth; a legend. Even the Federation denied it was real." He finally responded as Douglas smirked. "Itself." He replied, turning back to Marcus as he seated the last round into his magazine, removed the loading mechanism and signaled for a crane to lift the magazine away and replace it with an empty one.

"No matter how civilized and developed Heaven's End appears, remember that it was still founded by a council of pirates, and as you well know pirates are not exactly the most friendly of people; especially to those who would threaten their power." He continued, walking towards Marcus to allow the new magazine to be lowered into place without hitting him.

"About ten years ago a feud erupted between two of the seven pirate lords that made up the council. The cause of the feud was, well, stupid as many pirate feuds are. But unlike most disputes, this involved the two oldest standing pirate lords, including the current council lead; Lord Zerzura. His opponent, Lord Verock, accused Zerzura of unfairly imposing higher tariffs on the goods being transported by Verock's fleet as opposed to other any other merchant service, which Zerzura feverishly denied. A large fight ensued in which Verock called out Zerzura as a liar and a thief, but after nearly an hour of bickering the situation calmed and the meeting continued."

"Verock returned to his ship later on that night and met with his crew to discuss the meeting, but shortly after his arrival a massive explosion tore his vessel asunder; killing the pirate lord." Douglas remained explaining as Marcus sat down on the side of the magazine behind him, intrigued by the story that was playing out. Being involved in law enforcement he had always held a cliched interest in criminal dramas, so hearing one play out always caught his ear, especially when it was a true story.

"Let me guess; they blamed Lord Zerzura?" Marcus interjected as Douglas took a breather, bringing the man to nod as he once again continued. "That is exactly what happened. Shortly after Verock's demise another meeting was held, and this time it was clear that a conflict was brewing. Four of the remaining six pirate lords demanded that Zerzura resign as the head of the council, to which he refused, stating that this was exactly what the true saboteur would have wanted, though the others did not see it that way. Shortly after an open war was declared on the reportedly corrupt End Council, with only one of the loyal pirate lords standing beside Zerzura; your boy Aye's captain, Lord Stenka Dubrovich. Now Dubrovich and Zerzura put up a fight in the opening phases of the war, but after nearly a year's worth of fighting both sides took heavy losses, as did the people of Heaven's End." He recalled as his eyes narrowed on the ground beneath them, heavy with the memory of the battered fortress city he grew up in still haunted his dreams.

"When it seemed the war would consume Heaven's End and burn it until nothing remained, three of the warring pirate lord's lieutenants came forth and formed a secret alliance with one another to end their people's suffering. One of these was formed the Heaven's Gate Syndicate, and their plan was simple and effective; when the final showdown at the gates of Heaven's End began, their forces waited until Zerzura was nearly defeated before turning on their masters to seize control of everything. The whole shebang. The war ended, but not with victory for any faction that started it to begin with." Douglas finished with a heavy sigh as Marcus crossed his arms, still processing the tragic history of the mythic pirate world, but there remained several holes.

This story began with his mention of Aye, he must have tied in further than just participating in the defense. "But what about Aye? I'm sure he was unhappy with Dubrovich's defeat, and seeing as he is still alive I assume there is more to this story."

Hearing Marcus' statement Douglas grinned. He could see Marcus really did have an investigative side and was much smarter than his sometimes childish behavior made him seem. Watching the crane above them lower the magazine into place on the ground with a loud thud, he began to walk back towards it.

"Following their defeat, those who supported the original six pirate lords who did not fall into line with the new regime disappeared, either through other lines of work or heading out into space to join the non-Heaven's End pirate groups, and the new council remained unchallenged until about six years ago when a group emerged from the shadows and once again threatened to engulf the city in war. Decently outfitted and numerous, this group of rebels had been in hiding out in the dark zones of space for years gathering their forces and preparing to restore the old order. Their leader? The man you know as 'Aye'; Crayden Mallis." The pirate explained as he returned to his task as he spoke, not wanting to slack behind with so much work yet to be done while Marcus raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"That guy was the leader of a whole army?" He asked, bringing Douglas to laugh once again. "Hard to believe isn't it? That narcissistic fool couldn't leave well enough alone and decided that he would be able to better rule the people of Heaven's End. This was where Kurin's deal with the Federation came into play; he and the other two lords of Heaven's End received the much necessary armament needed to stop Crayden's onslaught, all of which was smuggled to the rock without the enemy's knowledge. He thought he would simply overpower us, but when he and his army came knocking at our door, we were well prepared." Douglas stated as he shook his head with a laugh, recalling both Aye's distraught tone and the destruction being wrought against his forces.

He was no older than eighteen when the Heaven's War took place and while he had seen combat several times prior that conflict shaped him into what he was now. Turning his attention back to Marcus, Douglas prepared to speak but withheld his words as he suddenly sensed Latty approaching the two of them.

"Telling that story again, huh?" Her voice called out over the mechanical noises that filled the dry docks, bringing Marcus back up to his feet. "Hey Lat, what's up?" He asked, his attempted nickname formed a slightly curious gaze from the girl before her eyes shifted back to Douglas. "I thought it was important that Marcus here know just exactly where our old friend Crayden stood in all of this, since he has kept quiet about his past." Douglas explained as Latty shook her head with a sigh.

"You really should just let it go. Even with all of the money in the world there isn't a crew in known space willing to help him take back Heaven's End. Even with Kurin's death Galoch and Vintari pose too much of a threat." She replied as the man in turn huffed and crossed his arms, scowling at her with one eye open as he did so. "I'll relax when he is dead; him and Zerzura's son, Alpha." The man revealed, leaving Douglas with an even further intrigued look. Alpha was Zerzura son? Why was he serving under Aye, was he after revenge as well?

"Again, let it go. You know we are not supposed to touch either of them, remember? Council's orders." She replied as Marcus' curiosity grew. He had not thought about it but they did in fact meet Aye and his crew while in Heaven's End, how was this possible? Why would they let someone back into their city who had tried to take it over for himself? "I don't think the council's orders apply to us anymore, Latty. We don't belong there anymore. Not as we once did, anyway." Douglas replied, bringing the woman to shrug. "It is what it is. We knew it could happen eventually, but at least we found somewhere else to call home first." She responded in turn, shifting her vision to Marcus for a brief moment as his eyes once more stared to her.

"Anyway, I'm getting hungry. I haven't really eaten since before the attack, besides some small stuff here and there to keep me going. Are you still taking me out for dinner?" She questioned as her eyes again returned to her fellow ex-pirate as he smirked. He had honestly forgotten about his promised obligation and while he knew he really should continue working he also knew the woman well enough to know that if he did not feed her she would not only never let him live it down, but she would also become quite cranky. "Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on 'Lat', just let me finish this last magazine." He replied sarcastically while returning to work as a smile formed at the thought that her hunger would soon be sated while Marcus quietly watched on. So it was true, they were some sort of thing; a couple, as he assumed from the very beginning. Douglas was so worried about her condition when they came aboard their crew that there couldn't be any other explanation, though he did hold the thought that it could have been something else.

"Good! In the meantime though, I think I need a shower. So, I will meet you there. Same place as last time?" She stated, bringing him to nod. "See you there." Douglas responded before Latty waved to the two of them and turned to walk away, leaving Marcus standing awkwardly with his eyes focused on her form until he snapped from the sudo-trance he was stuck in.

"Hey wait for a second!" He called out to her as he ran to catch up, coming to her side just as she turned around to face him. "Hmm? Is something wrong?" She asked, curious what his reason for following her was as the normally cool-headed man rubbed the back of his neck, indecisive about what exactly he wanted to say. It would have been wise of him to think about this on his approach, but that was far from his mind. "Oh nothing. I just… well, never had the opportunity to thank you. You know, for helping me out during the fight." The dark skinned man stated, bringing Latty to blink for a moment before shaking her head with a grin.

"Well I assumed letting you die would have been counterproductive. You paid back the favor right away, so there is no real need for you to thank me." The woman responded, bringing Marcus to laugh. "I figured a cup of coffee wouldn't have been enough, so I thought why not sacrifice my mobile suit. No big deal, really." Marcus flirted with a grin as he finished his laugh, bringing her to do so in turn. Identifying his attempt, she couldn't help but grin. Being onboard Kurin's ship she often found herself the object of some man's eye, though their attempts to court were more sexual and far less mild or tasteful than Marcus'.

"Well I would say it was a fair trade. Besides, I'm not a huge fan of coffee. I can… sometimes be a bit hard to handle the way I am now, can you imagine me hyped up on caffeine?" She questioned with a small laugh as Marcus grinned. "So that's a no to coffee huh?" He replied, bringing her to laugh once more as she moved a loose lock of her red hair from her face with a small smile. "I'll see you later, Marcus." She replied before once more turning to walk away, though this time Marcus did not follow. "Yeah, see ya' later." He responded with a grin as he watched her walk away and returned to his half-complete magazine load a moment later.

As he approached Douglas watched him from the corner of his eye as he seated yet another round into the upside-down pan magazine. "Having fun?" He asked, snapping Marcus' eyes to him with a bit of embarrassment. "Just saying thank you for saving me, that's all." He replied, watching her disappear in the distant sea of workers swarming the hangar. In the rush of the moment he hadn't thought much into his actions; was their conversation inappropriate? He hadn't made it a habit to hit on other men's women, despite telling Amaury to do so back on Dresden when he first expressed interest in Carina, though that was an entirely different situation.

"I didn't mean to intrude on your personal business, I apologize." He added as Douglas looked towards him, surprised by his apology. He was not bothering him any by talking to Latty, why would he assume so? "Don't apologize. There isn't anything to be sorry for." Douglas replied, still watching Latty before finally turning back to Douglas with a bit of disappointment on his face.

"I gotta say though, Latty seems to be one hell of a woman. Beautiful, mysterious and an excellent fighter; you are a very lucky man." Marcus added, further confusing the man he spoke to. Did Marcus think that he and Latty were a couple? That they were seeing each other romantically? At the thought Douglas laughed and shook his head as he returned once again to his magazine loading.

"You are right, I am a lucky man to have Latty." He replied as his chuckling died down to a grin, watching his disheartened wingman in the state he had fallen into. As much as he enjoy toying with him he wouldn't let him longer in his gloomy state too much longer. "Yeah, I really couldn't have asked for a better sister." He finally admitted with another loud laugh after a moment or two more, bringing Douglas' attention to snap up towards him; his melancholy demeanor replaced by one of shock as his mouth opened and he formed the only response he could. "Wait, what?!"

The further into the house they went the clearer it's decrepit condition became. Most of the first level was littered with debris from above and from the large hole in the living room ceiling, which had been the very first room through the front door of the residence, it was evident that the majority of the second floor had burned in a rather nasty fire. Following closely behind Amaury while holding onto his arm for stability Carina's eyes continued to drift between the damages walls of the home, noticing that the pictures that hung there displayed an older couple surrounded by a much larger family than his own.

She felt a bit odd invading someone else's house like this, but given the circumstances she hoped they would understand. "Did you live in the first floor or the second?" She asked as Amaury point up towards the upstairs as he turned to her. "Upstairs. There was an elderly couple down here, I… don't remember their names." He replied, allowing Carina to take notice to the interested yet blank face he possessed as his free hand ran along the walls of the stairs leading to the second floor. He understood that the chance of the upstairs being undisturbed for nearly a decade was slim to none, especially after the fire, but he just wanted to see for his own eyes; a sense of closure, of sorts.

"This place… I bet it was a nice place to live. I don't mean it as an insult, it just is in such rough shape." She added as a very small grin shined through across his lips as his mind brought back memories of their time there. "I know, and it was. Not much, but it was all we needed." He replied, stopping in his tracks as they reached the bottom of the stairs; the locked door that once secure the apartment was smashed across floor in pieces, likely by the fire department in an effort to suppress the flames. The steps looked stable, but he knew that likely wasn't the case.

"You don't need to come with me. It might be dangerous and I'll only be a minute or two." The concerned boy said to his girlfriend as he looked to her, though as he expected she shook her head in protest. "No, babe. If you are going up, so am I. Someone's got to watch your back." She jokingly replied with a smile as he did the same before nodding in agreement. "Alright, just watch your step. Hold onto me." He instructed as they slowly and cautiously began to make his way up the steps towards his childhood home as memories continued back in silent whispers.

Hearing the creaking wooden steps in the stairwell Carina couldn't help but grow more nervous by the second. While they seemed sturdy enough to support their weight individually she couldn't say for certain if the supports underneath were damaged, and the last thing she wanted was for both of them to fall through, especially without knowing what was beneath the carpeted hardwood at their feet. Was it a broom closet, or was it an open chasm to the basement?

"Please be careful Amaury." She warned as he lead her slowly up the stairs, nervously smiling back up to him as he reassured her that it was alright and continued. Coughing lightly from the dust that filled the air as they reached the top, Amaury's eyes scanned over the decimated apartment; its interior charred to such a point that if not for his vivid memories he would never be able to tell what was what.

The large open space directly in front of them was once the living room, to their right was the kitchen and to either side a short hallway; right went to what was once his room while the left passage led to his mother's. This was the room that seemed to have been most damaged by whatever explosion leveled the front wall and floor, and was likely where the fire originated from.

"Even with the damage, I can still see everything how it once was. I use to play in this living room while my mother cooked." He said with a smile as he stepped forward carefully with her hand still in his and turned towards her as he recalled her failure to return. "This… this is where I was the day she never came home." The boy added as his grin faltered and faded away, though his eye returned to Carina as she stepped forward and placed her hands on his arms in a comforting manner.

"Don't think about that. I know its hard, but try and remember the good things about your time together." She said softly in an effort to sooth his emotional burden, bringing him to stare for a moment or two in silence before he eventually nodded. "I'm sorry, you are right." Amaury replied softly as his attention turned down the hall towards his bedroom, though it had collapsed in on itself, making it impossible to enter. Knowing his mother's room had suffered a similar destructive fate he looked around the living room one more time before turning back to his lover with a smile.

"Alright, we can go." He said as he leaned forward and kissed her lips, bringing her cheeks to redden. "Thank you for letting me come her." He whispered as she nodded and took his hand once more to lead him from the apartment. "Don't thank me. Do you still want to go to make dinner?" She asked as they took their first step back towards the stairs, a smile forming across his face as he did so. "Of course I-" He started to reply until something caught his eye down the hall from them, forcing a pause.

Feeling the resistance from his sudden halt Carina turned to look at him. "What is it?" She hummed with a lingering grin, watching as Amaury's eyes focused down towards the floor of his mother's bedroom. Moving closer to him she looked towards the doorway as well, taking notice of a shimmering glint of something tucked into the floorboards of the now smashed hardwood.

"I… don't know. It has to be from whoever lives here now." Amaury replied as his curiosity pulled him down the hallway a bit further as Carina followed behind, feeling the floor bow with them as they moved. "The floor, Amaury." She once again warned as the boy stopped, feeling it as well, even with his artificial lower leg. "I know, I just want to get a closer look." He replied, carefully shimmying his way along the wall of the hallway until the object came further into view as the very edge of the shattered hardwood, almost at the hole that lead downstairs.

"It's some kind of… safe. Like a footlocker." The boy stated as he look to the box, but as he continued to focus on the metallic inlay he could tell it resembled the Principality of Zeon's eccentric and iconic mark despite the soot and debris that covered it, forcing his breath to tremble. "It…" He stuttered as he moved even closer, bringing Carina to reach out and stop him.

"Amaury…" She interrupted, reminding him of the floor's condition as he swallowed and looked from her back to the box. This type of memorabilia was illegal in most places. Was this his mother's? Who else could it belong to? "It... it has the Zeon symbol… I think it might be my mother's..."

Holding her breath at his words her eyes focused in on the box as well. Could it really be his mother's? "Really? It… I mean, the chances of it being someone elses are pretty slim. It might be." Carina replied as she continued to watch Amaury stare at the object with such intent that he seemed to be trying to move it closer to them with his mind. She knew he wanted to see it closer, but how?

"How do we get it?" She asked as the boy looked back to her and shook his head. "I don't know, it… I won't be able to reach it downstairs and from here it looks stuck… I think I am going to have to go out there." He replied as his lover's stomach twisted. "Is it safe?" She questioned though from the look of the floor below him she knew the answer.

Even from where he stood she could see the downstairs furniture through the missing pieces of the wood, making her even more nervous about his decision to climb out to the box. "I will be careful, I promise." He replied as their eyes met and with great hesitation, she nodded in agreement, allowing him to proceed. "You better be."

With a small grin at her instruction the boy began to make his way, carefully placing each and every step as he did so. She was right to be worried, this was dangerous. But if that box really was his mother's he needed to get it. It would be the only remaining connection to her he had and the mystery surrounding its contents would forever haunt him. With his heart pounding in his chest it was hard to focus on anything than the box, leaving him without knowing the terrified expression across Carina's face.

To her it felt as if he was climbing between two high rises even though she knew he was merely a few feet above the floor below. Though it wasn't the distance that worried her as much as what he could be landing on in the pile below. Nails, broken glass, sharp pieces of metal and piping from inside the floors; anything at all could be in the pile, and the last thing she wanted was for him to be impaled! "God just hurry up… my nerves are already shot…" She whispered to herself as he slowly inched further and further towards the box, now reduced to his hands and knees as his fingertips gripped the wall to stabilize himself; his prize so close he could almost taste it.

"Almost… got it…" The boy mumbled to himself, biting his tongue as it stuck from the side of his mouth while he reached out for the metallic surface, nearly grasping it in his hand before a loud crack filled the air and the floor he crawled on shifted violently. "Amaury!" Carina gasped as he lunged forward towards the safe in reaction, just as the floor gave way to the level below and filled the room in a thick cloud of dust and dirt; her love nowhere in sight.

"Amaury!" She screamed, immediately turning around to make her way down the steps in a state of panic, almost falling through the floor herself. She knew this would happen, she knew he would fall! "Amaury!? Amaury, are you okay!?" She cried out as she came to the landing, growing even more fearful by the moment from his silence.

Covering her mouth as she entered the living room she attempted to cut through the smoke in an effort to find him, but it was too much, forcing her to back up until it settled down a few tense moments later. "Amaury!? Answer me!" Carina cried out once more as she stepped back into the room and was greeted with the boy's silhouette, laying on its side facing away from her. "AMAURY!" She yelled as she ran to his side and shook him, instantly revealing the boy's smile and his bright brown eyes that now stuck out against his dust-covered face.

"I'm alright." He said with a few coughs as she scowled, hitting his shoulder as she did so. "I told you to be careful, you almost gave me a heart attack!" She complained as his arms unfolded and revealed what he had risked injury for; the box.

Laughing a bit between coughs, Amaury shook his head as he sat up and looked to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall." He replied as Carina sighed and allowed her scowl to relinquish, replacing it with a gentle grin as she ran her hand over the metal and cleared the dirt from the Zeon emblem. "Let go outside before our lungs fill with ash." She instructed as she stood and helped her lover to his feet, taking the box from his hands so that he could make sure he was uninjured and stabilize himself before progressing outside to the front steps of the home.

"Sit." She instructed him as he blinked, knowing that despite her grin she was still annoyed with his recklessness. Not wanting to make her any more upset with him he did as he was told, watching as she sat down next to him and placed the safe between them. "Let me see if I can get it open." Carina instructed, immediately looking at the lock that held the large main clasp shut. It had been damaged, either by the fire or by some other means and was nearly off. With the right tool she had no doubt she could easily break it open, but it would have to wait until they returned home.

Looking back up to Amaury as he brushed the dirt and debris from his hair she couldn't help but laugh and reached forward to help him a bit. "I can open it, but not until we get home, and not until after dinner, and after you shower. Can you handle that?" She joked to which he laughed and with a nod agreed. Even with the mystery of the safe's contents eating at his attention span, he could wait. They were both starving and he wasn't going to make her wait to eat over some little trinket; especially if it meant they were able to cook together again. Smiling at his reply she turned back to the box. It had to have belonged to his mother; what other reason would it be doing here? What was inside?

"Well sweetheart, it's getting late and I have to head down to the office for a little bit. Are you sure you will be alright?" Emmett said to his daughter as he stood from her bedside and pulled on his windbreaker, prompting Tome to shake her head. He had been there all day with her and while she appreciated his company she knew it was important for him to play an active, daily part in the family business' operation.

"No, you have things to do, I will be alright. Thank you for staying as long as you did." She replied with a smile as her father looked down to her with a bit of concern. "Really Tome I can stay. You are the most important thing to me, little Chickie." Her father responded as he reached forward and cupped his daughter's face, bringing her to blush. It had been some time since she had heard the childhood nickname he gave her come from his mouth; something she never thought she would hear again after telling him about her situation.

Being an only child she had always been close to her father so his forgiveness and understanding saved her from a world of sadness, especially since her mother was no longer with them. "I'm okay dad, really. I will see you tomorrow though, right?" The young woman asked, forcing a smile across her father's face as he leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. "Bright and early. I'll bring your favorite breakfast from that dinner down the street. How's that sound?" He replied, stepping towards the hospital door and opening it before looking back to his daughter's cheerful smile.

"I can't wait." She hummed, placing a hand on her stomach as she did so. In this calm environment and given an adequate amount of time to rest, as well as medication to quell the nausea, she could feel the increase in appetite brought on by the child developing inside of her, so any food was her favorite at this point in time. "Neither can I. If you need anything, anything at all, you have my phone number. I love you, Tome." Her father said, waiting until she replied to leave the room and close the door behind himself. "I love you too dad."

Left alone in her room she reached forward and took the TV remote from the metal stand beside her, pointed it up towards her TV and unmuted it, allowing the continuation of the music channel that had sat idle for most of the day. Music was something that she had always enjoyed and had thought about pursuing as a career prior her to developing an understanding, appreciation and even enjoyment in her father's work.

With a smile and an exhausted sigh she cozied herself into the blanket that had previously covered only her legs and closed her eyes, taking in the day while reliving the highlights. As nice as it was that they all came to see her she would much rather be out there with them helping prepare for whatever came next, though it was still up in the air whether or not she would be able to do anything at all, certainly not piloting.

Sure, there were other things she could do to help out, but it wouldn't be the same. At the same time, the last few days had seen a shift in her attention towards her baby, filling her with a desire to allow he or she to grow unhindered and as healthy as absolutely possible. Everyone who she had talked to so far seemed to agree, including Geoff and Admiral Krupp, but it still made her feel cruddy on the inside.

Slowly drifting off to sleep the girl opened her eyes, suddenly sensing someone approaching her room, and within a few seconds a knock emitted from the hardwood door, bringing the girl to lift her head. Who could it be? Carina and Amaury had just left not long before and as far as she knew both Douglas and Latty were working, and unless Marcus suddenly became a Newtype it wasn't him either.

"Come in." She allowed regardless, making sure to adjust her hospital gown to prevent any accidental exposure of herself to her guest, though as Elise's emergence through the door she stopped.

"Elise?" She questioned with a wide smile as she swung her legs to the side of the bed, stood and immediately greeted the woman with a tight hug, regardless of the doctor's orders to stay of her feet as much as possible. Catching Elise off guard by her sudden wail and grasping arms, the woman froze before grinning out of sight.

"I guess you are feeling better." She replied as Tome broke their hug and stepped back, smiling up at the taller woman. "A bit better, yeah. I'm probably still not supposed to be on my feet; don't tell my doctor!" The girl joked with a laugh before sitting on the edge of her bed, motioning for Elise to come and sit in the chair to her side. "C'mon sit down!" She demanded as the woman did as asked, sitting across from her.

"So, how have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." Tome questioned, taking notice to the different clothing she wore. Almost every time that she had seen her Elise had been either wearing a flight suit or an equally crimson mechanic's jumpsuit, but now it seemed she had chosen a pair of sweatpants and a matching jacket.

"Nice duds; Marcus didn't tell you these were what the cool kids wear, did he?" She jested, bringing another miniscule grin to Elise's lips. "No, I just grabbed whatever I had available while the rest is being cleaned. I didn't pack an entire wardrobe for my assignment, so I've frequently had to wash my clothes, though I've never left my room like this before." Elise replied as Tome's head cocked a bit to the side.

"Well I think you should wear stuff like that more often. It compliments your body type well, and you look very pretty." The girl added a moment later, once again surprising Elise. She had never heard herself described as 'pretty' before, and even though it was coming from a person she considered her friend it still felt odd. "Oh… well. Thank you." She replied as Tome nodded in a playfully smug manner before shifting herself further back onto the bed to replace her legs back under the warm blankets. She knew that by now Elise likely knew what was going on, but that didn't make the conversation any easier.

"Elise, I… When I got out of the Kalani after the battle the other day, I didn't feel good. I didn't feel good during the battle either, but I wasn't going to let you and Amaury fight that bastard alone. So I kept going." She began to explain, pulling her legs up to her chest under her blanket as her smile disappeared.

"But when I landed it was too much, so I hid hoping it would go away. That way nobody would worry, but it got worse to the point where I felt like I was going to pass out. Luckily I found Carina and Amaury before it happened. They brought me here, and… I-" Tome continued, but as she was about to tell her friend exactly what had happened she interjected.

"You are pregnant. I know." Elise stated as Tome's eyes widened a bit and then looked away with a somber nod. "Y-Yes…" She confirmed, unable to meet Elise's stare from the shame she felt washing over her. Of all the people she dreaded telling, Elise was the most she worried about, even over her father. She took the time to train her, turning her into an effective pilot, teaching her all about Newtypes and how to use her abilities to the fullest only for her to turn around and squander these gifts when they needed them the most.

"I… this wasn't supposed to happen, I promise. It just… did." Tome tried to explain, hoping that Elise would interrupt this as well though the woman remained silent, listening to what she had to say. Biting her lip, Tome continued, trying not to appear visually upset though it was clear that she was struggling to hold back her embarrassment.

"You must think I'm a huge disappointment. You spent all of that time training me, preparing me to fight some of the most feared pilots in existence… and here I am. Pregnant with Sam's child, unable to fight…" The girl resummed as tears silently rolled down her cheeks while Elise listened. In secret she did slightly feel as if her time had been wasted, but at the same time this was only temporary, and what was even more important was that she was pregnant; not only with her own child descendant from Newtype blood but with Sam's. He may have not been a powerful Newtype in his own right but from her limited time near the boy before his death she could feel the potential locked inside.

"I am not disappointed, you are being too harsh on yourself." The woman responded in a stern but compassionate tone, bringin Tome's eyes right back to her pierce blue ovals; breathless. She wasn't disappointed or mad? How could this be? "You… aren't mad?" She asked as Elise shook her head.

"No Tome, I'm not mad ethier." She added with a smile, even further surprising the nervous girl, who in the moment could only thing of one question. "Why?" She asked. With a small laugh under her breath Elise brushed a loose hair behind her ear, clearing the minor annoyance in preparation for her answer.

"Because the training wasn't a waste. I have no doubt that once your baby is born you will return to piloting. It's in your blood and your nature. And on top of that, you are bringing a life into existence, your own child; a _Newtype_ child. I could never be mad at you for that." The blonde haired woman stated as Tome placed her hand over her womb, biting her lip as she thought about what her teacher was saying. She remembered how Elise spoke of their bloodlines before as well as her mention of just how important it was that Newtypes continued to reproduce, moving evolution forward. But would their child be a Newtype for certain, even if Sam wasn't?

"A Newtype…" Tome stated to herself out loud in thought, bringing Elise to nod. "Your child will be part of the next generation of Newtypes; the future of our people. So relax." Swallowing nervously at the realization of just how important her child was, she looked back to Elise with a smile, though she still bit her lip to contain the emotion threatening to spill out.

"Thank you, Elise." Tome finally mustered the ability to say, lunging forward once more towards Elise and wrapping her arms around her neck in a short hug before she respond, though in actuality she sensed the gesture and allowed it to happen anyway.

"You don't need to thank me. What are… friends for?" The woman asked as Tome sat back in her seat with an emotional sniffle, laughing in the process. So they actually were friends then? That was what she thought, but with Elise it was often extremely hard to make such impressions. "You are right. And now I don't feel so bad about how excited I feel. I mean… I'm having a baby!" She exclaimed before beginning to talk about just how she felt while Elise listened intently.

Hearing her talk about everything on her mind and just what was to come with her child made her regret that she likely would not be around when it was born as well as realize that carrying Sam's baby made her happy more than anything. Maybe this wasn't so much a burden as it was a blessing, giving the girl a higher connection to her lost lover and a way to channel that love into a piece of his soul, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would feel the same way in the same situation. Was she even capable of being a mother, physically and mentally?

"I'm not boring you am I? Are you in a hurry?" Tome questioned, snapping Elise from her thoughts to which the woman blinked. "No. I've got all day." She stated back, knowing just how much Tome enjoyed the company and having someone to talk to. If this was the effect her mere presence had on the girl then she had time. With a wide smile Tome's face lit up even further, giggling with glee as she turned towards Elise and crossed her legs, preparing for a lengthy conversation. "Good!"

Even with their discovery and its contents weighing heavily on his mind Amaury was able to enjoy their evening, cooking together once more in the kitchen of their home. Since the first time they cooked together he had become much more familiar with the techniques and basic skills to the point that if he really tried he was sure he could cook on his own, though he was far from confident it would always taste well.

Still harboring a smile from a song she had just finished, he watched from the corner of his eye as Carina put the fruit of their hard work into the oven to cook; meat pies designed after the very recipe her grandmother had perfected years ago. Although the recipe seemed to be for more than a few people, so it looked as if they would have plenty of leftovers.

As she turned from the oven he caught a glimpse of the bright green day dress she was wearing, bringing him to smile. She seemed to favor these dresses as opposed to others clothes, though he wasn't complaining; to him she looked absolutely stunning in them. He too had now collected some different clothes, thanks to Carina of course, making him feel more at home with those around them on the streets when they were not on duty.

"What did you think of that song?" She questioned as Amaury turned to face her fully, smiling again at the sound of her voice alone. "I like them all, if you are the one singing them." He replied as she jokingly pouted and walked up to him from behind, binding his eyes with her hands.

"But if you don't tell me which ones you like, how will I know which is your favorite?" The girl countered his cute gesture, bringing him to lift his hands up to hers and follow her arms to his shoulders. "They are all my favorite, my Carina." Amaury answered as he turned to face her, leaving her arms wrapped around his neck as she stared into his eyes. He was so dedicated to her, so in love with her that she believed that statement without question. How could this man have become hers? In silence she pressed her lips against his for a brief moment before looking past him to the stove, then back to the safe, now sitting on a table in the living room of their apartment.

"The food is going to take a little bit to cook. Do you want to open the box?" She asked as the boy in her arm's smile slowly disappeared. He had tried his best not to think about the footlocker and what could be inside, but there was no denying that it was eating him up. What could possibly be inside? What could be so important that she would hide it away, and why would she choose to do so? Did he even want to know? With a hesitant swallow he nodded slowly as his lover frowned temporarily before smiling in an attempt to cheer him up. "It will be okay." She reassured him as he again took his hand and lead him to the table.

As they neared Carina let go of his hand and sat down in a chair at the table, but Amaury did not; instead he stood behind her with his hands gripping the top of the chair nervously as if she was protecting him from whatever was inside. "You could sit down babe, it may take a bit." She said, though he shook his head. "I'm okay." He answered with a forced smile to try to convince her but she knew otherwise, and feeling just how nervous he still was about this reached up and cupped his face with her hands.

"Amaury if you don't want me to open it, I won't." She stated as he once more shook his head. "No, I need to know what this is. If we don't open it now it will drive me insane." The boy replied as they stared at one another for a moment before she finally nodded. With a kiss of his cheek she returned her gaze back down to the safe. Just running her fingers across it brought a feeling that it had been on quite the journey since it was first made.

"Well first let's clean it up a bit." Carina declared, picking up a wet towel from the tabletop to began wiping the soot from its metal surface, which soon revealed the military green paint below as well as the rest of the gold embellishment sunken into the metal that now shined bright in the setting sun that peeked through the window, exposing with it an engraving underneath the symbol; his last name, as legible as the day it was put there.

"Amaury…" She stated to catch his attention, but by the short, quiet gasp that left his lips she knew he had already seen it. It was his mother's, there was no doubt anymore. "It is hers…" He stated out loud as his mind tracked in a million different directions before returning back to one crucial point; what was inside? It could be any number of things, ranging from pictures or jewelry to possibly even the decorations and medals he had heard his mother say that both she and his father were issued during the One Year War. Reading the word again in her head Carina reached up to his face once more, gently rubbing his cheek.

"You still want me to open it, right?" She checked once more looking up to him from the top of her eyes as they met, taking only a brief moment before he nodded in confirmation and she returned to her task. With the lock in hand she examined it carefully, humming to herself in thought as she did so. She was not a locksmith, but with the damage that had been done it didn't matter.

"Whatever happened to this left the internal mechanism exposed, but I don't think it was the fire. Someone tried to open this before. It shouldn't take me long." She stated while her hand reached to the side of her chair where on the floor sat her backpack of personal tools, brought with her on the journey from her internship just incase. Grabbing the smallest metal punch in the bag as well as an equally small flathead screwdriver she began to rotate the tumbler inside, bypassing any need for a key while Amaury held his breath, though he wasn't sure why. Why did the contents of this box matter so much to him?

"I've almost got it…" Carina said, her tongue sticking from her lips in concentration as she did so; the silence that followed interrupted by the sudden clack of the tumbler inside the metal housing as it locked open, releasing the metal shackle from its locked position. It was open. With a deep sigh of relief she set her tools to the side and turned towards her love, looking into his eyes while taking his hands. He was so uneasy, she could see it in his face and sense it in the air. "You should take the lock off. It's open." She spoke in a soft tone as he nodded and moved beside her, but before he touched it she stopped him.

"Wait," She began to speak, standing to her feet as she took the box in her hands and moved it to the floor. Their dining table wasn't very big and at least with the floor they could spread out whatever was inside as well as allow them to sit next to one another as he opened it. Kneeling before the box as he followed and did the same next to her she smiled once again, motioning to the box with one hand as the other took his. "Now you can open it."

Staring into her bright green hues for a moment until she squeezed his hand, Amaury did as she instructed and reached forward, pulled the lock from its clasp and flipped open the metal retaining it. With one last deep breath he closed his eyes tightly, grabbed the lid and lifted it open, revealing to Carina first the contents; a mixture of pictures, documents and a few military service ribbons that looked to have belonged to both his parents and possible even his grandparents. "Wow…" The wide eyed girl whispered under her breath before turning to Amaury, who she realized had yet to open his eyes.

"Babe, look… its you!" She exclaimed with a bit of happiness and she pulled out the first picture she saw; an ultrasound image of him inside of his mother's womb, nearly ready to be born. Biting his tongue he forced himself to look, seeing the image she spoke of in her free hand. "It… it is me." He replied, staring down at the black and white image in disbelief, reading his mother's name in the patient info panel at the top, along with the indicator that the image was taken around his seventh month of development. "Even before you were born you had that cute, innocent look about you." Carina giggled with a light blush as she handed him the picture, forcing him to do the same while she moved to the next image, which depicted his mother standing in what looked like a park as the wind blew gently through her white hair.

Seeing her lift the picture Amaury placed the ultrasound image down and focused forward, biting his lip at the sight. "That… that is my mother." He said out loud, a smiling forming over his face as he did so. He had never seen a picture of his mother so young before, though he had always wondered if her hair naturally was that color. Looking to him Carina grinned. "She's beautiful." The girl replied, watching as Amaury this time reached forward to take a picture from the box, but stopped before he did so.

Curious, Carina looked down to see what the next picture was and why it would cause such a reaction, though it became clear rather fast. It was a similar photo as the one before it, but this time there was a man in it with his arms around his mother while the two shared a loving embrace; their foreheads touching as she and Amaury often did.

"Is… that your father?" She questioned with the understanding that he had never seen what his father looked like, and upon Amaury's nod her eyes widened. "That… that is the man I saw when I died… Armin..." He whispered, taken back by the confirmation that it was both his father and Sam he spoke to. He had always believed so, but given the absurdity of the whole situation he had held some doubt; doubt that now disappeared completely from both of their minds.

Unable to stop himself, Amaury's eyes welled up with tears that silently rolled down his cheeks. "T-That's my dad…" Looking towards him as he spoke Carina now saw his tears, though she could feel that they were not those of sadness, bringing her to smile.. "You look just like him, Amaury." The girl whispered as she gently reached over and squeezed his hand, capturing his attention as their eyes locked together once more. Smiling at her gesture he found himself temporarily lost in the ocean of green that calmed and consoled his mind but also filled his heart with love and desire.

"Nah, he's definitely better looking." He joked as she giggled once more before leaning forward to kiss him. "Yeah, you are right. He's much cuter." She joked with another giggle, kissing him lovingly once more before returning to the box. One by one they looked the pictures, all of which seemed to be before he was born, hinting that the box must have been locked for quite some time until they moved on to the other items inside. There was several war medals for both his mother and father, surprising them both by just how much they had done during the war.

It was a large conflict; everybody that could fight did so, especially in Zeon's case. But he never knew his parents had been so important to the cause, or just how much they had suffered through. Nearing the end of the items in the box, Amaury picked up a small, unmarked box.

Black in color, he had assumed that it was another medal, and expecting such he opened it up without hesitation. Though what was inside was not a medal or a service ribbon, but two rings. One was a gold band with decorative engravings running the full length of the metal, while the other was silver with a single stone at the top; his mother's wedding band and engagement ring.

Seeing the rings in Amaury's hand Carina gasped, immediately recognizing them as such. "Are those…" She began to question as the boy nodded, his eyes wide as he looked over both intently, taking into effect each detail the possessed. The lack of his father's ring confirmed his mother's story that his father had died fighting in space, making the remaining ring ever the more special.

"I… I can't believe she kept these." He stated, running his thumb across the bands as he did so. All of these years hidden away and they maintained such a shine, as if symbolizing some cliched symbol of their love. _"And… tell your mother that I still love her."_ His father's words flashed before his eyes, forcing him to gasp as it did so. He really did mean that, didn't he? He couldn't explain why, but holding these rings made him feel… connected to them; his father in the afterlife and his mother, wherever she was.

"Of course she kept them silly. She obviously loved him very, very much." Carina stated, snapping him from his thoughts and reuniting their gaze once again for a moment before he looked back to the rings. "I guess she did." He replied, bringing Carina to focus on the engagement ring in his hand as she tilted her head to the side. "It really is a beautiful ring." She remarked, tracing the edges of the diamond with her eyes.

"Where should we put them so that they stay safe? I think there is a safe of our own in the closet if you want." She added as once again Amaury looked to his Carina and then to the floor, his cheeks darkening a bit as his mind hatched something; a thought formed from both the rings in his hand and the feelings in his heart.

As this idea of his formed in his mind she felt an odd feeling radiate from the boy, resembling a cumulation of what she knew was love and his desire, as well as something else. But before she could react and ask him what it was he was thinking about, he took her hand and slid the engagement ring onto her finger; a perfect fit.

With an audible quiver in her breath Carina looked up to her boyfriend, who now peeked up at her with as red a face as he had ever mustered, though her own rivaled it's dark scarlet color. "A-Amaury… what…" She began to ask as the boy looked to his side, biting his lip to try and hide the nervous smile that was flushing over him.

"You… y-you said that I should put it s-somewhere safe…" He said softly as their hands still held onto one another's. Was this right? Was this too much, too soon? He had always simply followed his heart when it came to his love for Carina, and in this moment this was what he felt was right; what his heart told him to do.

"S-So… so I want you to hold onto it… for me." The boy added, sneaking another look at her to see if he shock had faded to no avail. Was she… mad? Swallowing what little saliva had built up in his mouth he contemplated saying something else, but after what felt like an eternity, _all_ of eternity, Carina began to speak.

"You-" She started, stopping to correct her voice as it cracked from trying her best to hide back the flood of emotions that we're coming over her. Did he understand what this meant, giving a girl he loved an engagement ring? Of course he did, he wasn't stupid. But did he really mean that he just wanted her to hold on it, or did it mean something else? "This… t-this is a-an engagement ring. You… k-know what this means… r-right?" She questioned and after only a moment he nodded.

"I-I do… I know what it means, I…" Amaury began, trying his best to formulate the thoughts in his head as the strange sensation continued to perplex his love. If there was ever a time for him not to fumble his words, it was now, and secretly she wished for the same. He couldn't just not explain himself, not after this. She needed to know.

"Carina, I love you… more than I could ever explain. A-And I know that you love me too. You are the one person that I k-know I can trust, and the one person who w-will always be there for me…" The boy continued, looking back to her eyes with love and compassion coming forth. "Before you I was nothing. Nobody cared if I lived or died, but now next to you I feel so loved, so wanted and needed that I could never image going a day without you. I want to spend every day by your side, my Carina… I want to make our dreams come true."

Taking in everything her love said, Carina froze. This truly was what he wanted then, to be her husband and to have a family of his own with her and her alone? It was the dream they both shared, ever since he first told her of his vision of their future. She never doubted that he meant what he said, but now it seemed so real that it was overwhelming, bringing forth the warmest sensation she had ever felt in her heart.

However, in her silence Amaury grew nervous. "B-But that is only if you still w-want that." He added in a shy whisper as he looked away, biting his lip and subconsciously rubbing her hands to stay calm. "W-We don't n-need to get married right away… I… I will wait forever f-for you. I just-" The boy spoke again, beginning to break down from the calm demeanor he had held until this point before Carina stopped him, kissing him lovingly to hush his words.

"S-Stop, Amaury." She whispered as she bit her lip and adjusted herself back a bit, the tears in her eyes that had welled up through his speech now rolling down her face as she did so. "I… I-I am not going to m-make you wait forever." She replied, reaching up to cup his cheek with one of her hands once again as she smiled. She meant it, she wouldn't make him wait; to get married or to accept his proposal. "Y-Yes. I will marry you." She finally whispered, igniting his face into a wide eyed, dark red smile overwhelmed with joy.

"R-Really?" The boy questioned as Carina giggled and released a sob at the same time. "Yes!" She exclaimed loudly with tearful eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck into a tight hug with enough force to knock him onto his back before kissing him over and over again.

Finally calming down their embrace once the two of them had run out of breath, Carina laid down beside him on the floor, holding her ring-bearing hand in between them; both of their eyes unwilling to part from it's beautiful gleem. This all seemed so surreal but yet so right. Never would she have thought that setting out on her journey she would find not only someone she loved but also the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

"I love you, my Amaury. So very, very much." Carina hummed lovingly as she looked up to him and pecked at his lips gently once more, bringing him to smile. "I love you too, my Carina." He replied, pulling her closer towards him as she closed her eyes and rested her hand against his chest. "Are you sure your mom would be okay with this? I mean… it is her ring, after all." She questioned as Amaury looked back down to her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sure. She would have loved to meet you." He replied, bringing her to nuzzle her head into his chest now as well. "Maybe someday you will see her again, and by then you can introduce me as your wife." She smiled as they both blushed at the thought. "Is that how you are going to introduce me to your parents when we see them as well? Your husband?" He asked, leaving Carina with a small smile. Despite her doubt that she would see them any time soon, if ever again, she appreciated his sentiment.

"Of course. I just hope my dad doesn't beat you up for not asking permission first. He's pretty old-timey about those sorts of things." She joked back with a little laugh as she turned her head up to look at him once more, a big smile across her face as she did so. "But I know they will love you as well." The girl stated as Amaury blushed and kissed her forehead.

This one moment had sealed their fate together, all by chance. They would be married; he would be her husband, and she his wife. A family to call their own; to allow their dreams to flourish and come true. Content with their loving embrace the way it was, Amaury's attention broke at the scent of something burning, though the smell was only faint.

"Umm… I think the food is done." He stated, bringing his love to look at him for a moment with loving eyes that shot open wide. "The food!" She exclaimed, jumping up from the floor to run to the oven and save their dinner as Amaury laughed, following closely behind. If this was going to be their life, he wouldn't change a thing.


	35. Chapter 35: The Promised Land

Awakened by the sound of a slamming door, Tegan's eyes partially opened and immediately began scanning his surroundings, his mind in a fog. What once was the sprawling, lush fields of his family's estate in northern France was now replaced with the cold steel bars of a prison as reality sank in, reminding him that he still remained within the brig of Margaret Pierce's command ship, the _Horizon_. He had been confined there for nearly two weeks since his capture, seething in rage with each second that passed. His plan had nearly worked; he had made it back to the fleet before the others, but he had only just begun his attempted treachery when they arrived, dashing his hopes of taking over the crew and engaging him once more in a fight to the death for his freedom.

With his heavily damaged Jesta he resisted capture for nearly an hour, taking several of her men down in a furious rage before finally falling victim to the conditions at hand. Even after so much time passed he found himself cursing the sniper who intervened with his deadlock against Margaret, disabling his mobile suit and taking not only his victory from him, but his left arm as well, severed just below his shoulder.

Thinking about the moment of his loss brought pain to what was left of his arm, and with his remaining hand he reached up and held pressure on the bandaged wound. Showing no mercy for the prisoner the medical crew of the _Horizon_ were instructed to do whatever possible to keep the boy alive and well, which did not include replacing his arm with a prosthetic. In their eyes a traitor like him did not deserve such a gift, and seeing how he was destined to spend the rest of his life behind bars in a high-security Federal prison it seemed unnecessary, especially with so many wounded from the battle left to treat instead.

Facing the wall as he lay on his uninjured side, the man relied on his senses alone to detect the oncoming guard who had entered the brig, thought his heavy footsteps were enough to hear him from a mile away. "Get up, Teegy boy. Breakfast is served." The guard instructed, kicking the cell door over and over again to create a loud banging intended to wake anyone still sleeping past his already obnoxious entrance. Shifting his eyes to look from their corners as the guard stopped at his door Tegan shook his head and returned to his previous position facing the wall. "I'm not hungry." He replied, though the guard was unamused.

With a laugh he slid the closed tray of food into the cell anyway and leaned down to look through the hatch. "Now, now, Tegan. Captain's orders, you must eat. We won't have to force feed it to you again, will me?" He asked as Tegan once more looked over his shoulder at the man in disgust. Several days prior he had refused to eat, almost in a hunger strike-like fashion, only to be held down and the food crammed down his throat by the less-than-gentle Military Policeman that Pierce seemed to have no problem with, despite their rough handling and routine beating of the prisoners. With a laugh the guard stood and shut the hatch, cracking his neck as he did so.

"That tray better be fucking empty when I get back, or it's gonna be a rough lunch." He threatened as he began to walk away, though Tegan waited until he was out of the main corridor before reacting. Using his good arm he propped himself up, wincing at the bright light coming from the main hallway between all of the cells as he did so. He knew ahead of time what was going to be inside the metal container even prior to picking it up, so it came as no surprise once he placed it on his lap and removed the lid that it was little more than scraps left from the remainder of the crew's dinner the night prior.

"Lovely." He sighed under his breath, picking up the plastic spork they included to start eating, looking up at the other prisoners in the adjacent cells as they stared at him. These were the men who were deemed supporters of his cause, those who sided with him and participated in his defiance. They too had been enduring the same treatment on their flight back to Earth as he was, some of which did not appreciate it.

"Do you see what you've done Tegan, tricking us into betraying the Federation? Where did it get us? Nowhere." The prisoner in the cell next to him growled angrily as another grabbed the bars of his cell and spoke as well. "They are going to execute us all, we are all dead men; death by firing squad!" Another yelled as another cried out in fear, his voice cracking and breaking as he did so. "I don't want to die, I-I was just doing what I was told!" He yelled as Tegan calmly continued to eat the garbage before him.

"You all knew what we were doing. You knew the risk in our cause." He replied as the same man who initiated the conversation walked towards the steel dividing their cells and stared him down. "Yeah and we followed you right into the grave. A great plan if I must say so myself. What's next then Tegan? What is your next move?!" The man taunted as Tegan stared him down, moving his tray to the side of him in the process. "I'm working on it." He replied as he stood and walked weakly towards the prison bars, feeling the hostility his neighbor put forward. "It takes time. We need to just-" He tried to explain before the hostile prisoner interrupted.

"There is no plan, no escape. Our only hope is that the military tribunal finds us only guilt of following your orders, and nothing more. You are the one who needs to fry for this, not us!" He yelled, annoying the Cerberus before him. "Listen, you-" He once again attempted to speak, but yet again the prisoner interrupted him.

"No, no more listening! It was listening to you that got us here in the first place. It is no wonder you are the last of the Cerberus operatives, you and damn brother got them all killed with your shit plans!" He screamed in Tegan's face, forcing the man's hand.

Malnourished,weak and with only one arm, Tegan still found the strength to reach forward through the prison bars, grabbing the man by his throat and squeezing with such pressure that he could not react to fight him off.

"L-Let g-go… of m-me!" He pleaded as Tegan's bruised eyes narrowed on him and then to the rest of those imprisoned around him. "Like I was _trying_ to say, we need to just stay calm. I won't lie to you, this situation is as abysmal as it seems, but there is a way out of this. Many still within the Federation feel the current regime's power slipping and will heed our example." He instructed, letting go of his captive a moment or two later, allowing him to fall backwards onto the floor and scurry away from him.

Focusing on the other cells as those stuck inside walked to their doors and stared at him, Tegan grinned. He would have to maintain dominance over these broken men if they had even the smallest sliver of hope for survival outside of chains. "If that is the case… what should we do now?" One of the other prisoners asked as Tegan turned around and walked back towards his bunk, once more holding onto the remaining stump of his left arm as it burned tremendously in pain.

"Get your rest." He instructed, sitting down and laying back on his side facing away from all of them. "You will all need it when the time comes." He instructed, though truth be told there was no plan, no grand scheme. From where he stood he too saw little light at the end of the tunnel, but they could not give up. Giving up now would shred any chance of escape, ruin any opportunity that presented itself; for now they needed to wait and stay calm.

Assembled on the bridge of the newly relaunched NRZ _Warsaw_ , the group of friends that had been together from the beginning of the adventure back on Dresden stood watching out into space anxiously. With their destination expected to be visible in the distance at any time now, Geoff gathered them all together once again aboard what had been their home. The were the ones who risked everything for their people; those who set out into the dark carrying the light of tomorrow with no promise of return or success, so it only made sense that they would be the first to see the promised land they fought and died for.

"We should be making contact with Aye and his crew soon." He announced, bringing Carina to look to her now fiancee in excitement; their hands locked together as they stared out into the endless void. As far out from the Earth's Sphere as they were there was little Minovsky interference and in each direction all they could see were stars dotting the horizon. "This is amazing Amaury… look at this view. It's so beautiful, I've never seen stars like this!" She exclaimed, squeezing Amaury's his hand as he smiled in return. Before their journey he never seen any stars with his own eyes, but she was right; the stars that dotted their view of space were as bright and crisp, mimicking those drawn in children's books.

"It is beautiful." He replied, looking down to the bright gleam in her green eyes before the two rested their heads against one another, leaving the others in the room watch on, feeling the happiness from their heartfelt connection spread across them all like a powerful aurora. "It's hard to believe that after so long we are almost there. It feels like yesterday we were just setting sail as the Fleetserv Pro crew." Marcus said aloud as he looked to Geoff at the helm of the prized warship many fought and died to capture and protect, then out to their side as the _Bastille_ joined them on their flight. Neither ship had been returned to full fighting strength, but like many of the members of their crews, they were slowly getting there.

With a nod Geoff agreed to Marcus' statement, taking a deep breath as he looked back not only on their journey but on those they had lost. Of their original crew only a little over half remained and inside he couldn't help but feel each loss individually, especially Sam's, bringing a sinking feeling that felt heavier in his heart each time he saw Tome, pregnant with the boy's child. "I agree." The colonel replied as he stood from his captain's chair and stepped forward amongst the group of his subordinates, looking to each and every one of them individually, not just the pilots but to the engineers, naval crewman, medical staff; everyone, including both Douglas and Latty, who despite not being present during the entirety of their journey played a pivotal role in its success. Without all of them none of this could have been possible.

"In this place we will be free. Free to live our lives however we wish; free to raise families that will grow and flourish without the burden of living under Federal rule, free to start businesses without a crippling tithe owed to unseen masters on Earth. This is an important victory for all we have brought here, but you and I know well that it wasn't without sacrifice and bloodshed." He spoke loudly, ensuring all heard him as he continued to look around before finally focusing back on his closest crewman and friends.

"We have to make their sacrifice worthwhile, doing everything we can to ensure our republic not only survives, but can not lose our way, and we can not go back." He stated, turning back to the main bridge entranceway as the door opened, revealing both Admiral Krupp and General Ishim, as well as a short, curly haired, tan skinned girl next to them, bringing a smile to Geoff's face and various excited reactions amongst the rest of the crew.

"I thought I saw your shuttle landing Admiral." Geoff grinned as the Admiral did the same, placing a hand on Tome's shoulder to his side. "I apologize for my tardiness, but I wasn't going to let Miss Himare here miss this." He replied as the girl smiled up at him, then to her friends before rushing to meet them. "Hey!" She exclaimed as she made her way to Carina and hugged onto her friend, bringing the two of them to laugh. It had been nearly two weeks now, only about one since she had been released from the hospital, but she was recovering well and as far as they could tell had no side effects from her injuries.

"I'm so glad you came, it wouldn't have felt right without you here." Carina replied as Tome playfully scoffed, pushing her back gently by her shoulder. "Pssh, do you really think I would miss this?" She replied, bringing her friends to laugh as they returned their focus to their three commanding officers as they too embraced one another. "To be honest, I thought it would be Monty's hand I was shaking when this moment came." The admiral stated as he reached out and took the Colonel by his hand, bringing the man to nod in a solemn manner. He too would have thought it would be Monty leading them into their new home, but now in light of everything that had transpired, if that man even set foot on Hagen he would be hard pressed not to strangle the life from him.

"But I wouldn't want it any other way, Geoff. You were, and are, the right man to lead these men and women in battle, both in battles fought and whatever is to come." The admiral added, turning Geoff's somber attitude on its head, returning the smile to his face. "Thank you sir. I promise I won't let you down." The proud responded with a salute, bringing both of his superiors to laugh as the others watched, waiting anxiously for Krupp to address them directly as he had at the beginning of their journey months ago.

At the mention of Monty's name Amaury's small grin soured and his mind changed direction. Following his betrayal he hadn't really thought about what his betrayal had cost them, but left with plenty of time to sit and think as he continued to recover and slowly ease his way into piloting again, he had developed quite a bit of disdain for their former leader, bordering on hatred as the days passed.

It hadn't been for his greed he wouldn't have almost lost his life or his Carina, and neither of them would have likely suffered the way they had. How could he have trained them all and lead them on their journey only to betray them in the end? Carina told him everything that Monty had said, about how he believed that they were doomed to fail; did he really not feel any remorse for leaving them to die? Where was this home he spoke of that was so important he would do such damage to their own?

Sensing his mind shift from the calm happiness it had been resting at to a more distraught, angry place, Carina looked to her fiance with a frown. Given the mention of Monty's name and the similar thoughts that had come over her about her former lover, if he could be called that, she knew what he was thinking about. Returning to his side she took his hand in hers once again and squeezed gently, bringing him to smile once more. He knew she was telling him not to worry about what Monty had done and that everything was alright, and as always he appreciated her love and compassion past any hope of expressing gratitude with words.

As anticipated the admiral stepped forward towards the center of the bridge next to Geoff, looking around as their colonel had done moments before, focusing his own eyes now on each soldier before them with a grin. "Well, you've all done it. You've brought us to our promised land." He stated as he held his hands out, still in the middle of turning through the large crowd as his voice broadcast to their sistership to the starboard side.

"I knew it would be a hard-fought journey, but that day as I watched the lot of you leave Dresden I knew I couldn't have sent forth a better crew. You've all done so well, I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of all of you. I know I've said this before, but I truly mean it." The admiral praised, leading several in his audience to cheer and whistle loudly in celebration while a few others, Tome and Carina included, rushed forward and piled into the admiral, surrounding him a conglomeration of hugs, forcing the veteran admiral's cheeks to turn red as a grin of undeniable happiness spread across his lips and a roar of laughter filled the room.

"Alright guys and girls, don't smother him too much; his old bones are brittle!" General Ishim joked, but no sooner did he do so that he too became victim of the hug-pile, even furthering the laughter in the room. Stepping back to avoid becoming the third victim of the affection mob, Geoff continued to laugh, placing his hands on Marcus and Amaury's shoulders respectively as he moved in between the two of them. "You two ain't going to hug me, are you?" He asked with a light laugh as both of the men laughed in reply, shaking their heads. "Nah man, you are safe for now. Just watch out when they get bored of hugging the two geezers." Marcus warned, catching Tome's eyes before she looked past him out into space and raised her hand to point at what caught them in their gaze. "There it is!" She yelled as their destination came into view; the asteroid mining base known as Hagen.

With Tome's words the group dispersed from around their leaders and pushed forward towards the glass windows of the bridge, all desperate to see their first sights of their new home while Carina and Tome returned to their friends, the former of which grasped her fiance's hand once more tightly; her eyes glazed over with shock and excitement at the sight before them. "Its huge!" Tome cried out with glee, gripping the metal railing before her as the room filled with a plethora of excited gasps and noises, and with good reason.

They had been told that Hagen was large, but now in sight of the massive space rock it was clear that nobody understood just how large. From the distance they still remained from its rocky surface it was difficult to see any kind of structure built on or inside of it, but from their understanding there should be quite an extensive labyrinth of preexisting habitable areas already constructed for them take advantage of.

Overloaded with the excitement of those around her Carina turned to her Amaury, lost in the wonder of seeing their home for the first time. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was; that this was their home and that this would be the place where they would see their dreams come true. "Can you believe it? We are here." She whispered, looking out once again asteroid before them with a lingering smile.

"This place might not seem like much... but we are going to turn it into a something truly special." She added, squeezing his hands as he looked from Hagen back to her, then at the floor, recalling their dream and what Geoff had said only moments prior. "A place we could raise a family." He whispered back with a heavy blush, bringing the girl to do so as well. She was right; he was thinking about the same thing as he.

Nodding in agreement as Carina moved closer to him and took his other hand, she then rested her head against his chest. "Yes." She replied, the two staring out into space for a moment or two longer before a radio transmission called out above the cheering in the room.

" _Haakon_ to the _Bastille_ , _Warsaw_ ; you there Geoff? Ye' ain't sleeping, are ya?" The familiar voice called through the darkness as the colonel motioned for silence in the room and then to the communications officer on the deck. "Go ahead Aye, I can hear you. What have you got?" He replied, watching from the corner of his eye as Douglas scowled silently.

With a hearty laugh the image of the mercenary appeared on the main communication screen, his wide toothy grin immediately capturing the attention of everyone as some waved, both on the _Haakon_ and the _Warsaw_. "What I've got _Colonel_ is one massive space rock, as promised. I told you I would find it!" He gleamed with pride at the success of his task, but at the realization that they had brought along one less colony than when his crew had departed the New Republic it seemed to fade ever slightly.

"Ran into some trouble I see." The captain of the small warship added as Geoff looked around and then shook his head. "Yeah, we did. But now seeing Hagen, at least we know it wasn't for nothing. How does she look?" The colonel replied as Aye's grin returned, looking behind his bridge towards the abandoned facility as he ran his hand through the dreadlocked hair on the back of his head.

"It's all there, if that's what you mean, but she's gonna need some work. First off, there's no gravity. The whole place runs off pulse engines that keep the asteroid spinning, and it would seem that before the place was abandoned they slowed the rock's rotation down to a non-existent rate. She's been abandoned for some time, and the main reactor system in the core seems to be inoperable. No power, no rotation, no gravity. You'll have to have your engineers take a look, mine can't figure the damn thing out to save their lives." Aye replied, bringing Geoff to look to Carina in question, to which she nodded.

"We will fix it, don't worry." She reassured her commander who nodded himself and turned back towards the screen at the sound of Aye's laugh, just as the _Haakon_ 's engine glow became clear in the distance as it rode out to meet the rest of the fleet. "I'm sure you will, so she's right Geoff, don't worry. Now let's link up here, I'm running low on fuel and food supply, and the crew is a bit anxious to get both. After being out of port for so long they are looking for some other things too, if ya catch my drift." The mercenary exclaimed as Geoff lowered his head with a shake, though the smile indicated amusement at the man's banter. " Roger that, Aye. I'll meet up with you on Dresden once we get a look at Hagen. _Warsaw_ , out."

With the transmission coming to a close, Admiral Krupp looked to Carina as she turned back towards him. "Do you really think you could get that reactor working?" He asked, partially out of curiosity while the other half was concern. Without functional gravity on Hagen it would feel more like a space station than their permanent home, and until it was fixed they would not be truly able to immigrate to the rock. But sticking with her original statement, the girl nodded.

"I've only worked on this type of reactor a few times, but I have a decent understanding of their functionality, and together with the rest of the colony's engineers, I'm sure we will figure it out. We just have to take our time and ensure everything is right to avoid permanently damaging it." Carina replied, reassuring the concerns in the room as the Admiral sighed in relief. "Good. I would hate to have come all this way just to run into yet another hurdle to jump." He responded before he and General Ishim turned towards Geoff.

"We better head to Dresden to meet with Aye and his men, continue as you were onto Hagen, give it a look over and let me know how it looks. I'll see you all soon." He added as he saluted, commanding an appropriate response from all in the room before he and the General headed back towards their awaiting shuttle.

Waiting for them to depart and the others to discuss amongst themselves, Carina turned to Geoff and tilted her head a bit. "What do you thinking Aye meant by 'other things'? Are they really looking for their payment already?" Carina asked out loud, bringing Marcus to laugh. "You're joking, right? All that brain and you can't figure it out?" He asked as Carina scowled a bit, not a fan of Marcus' belittling attitude, even if was truly a joke.

Continuing to laugh Marcus leaned over and whispered what he believed the mercenary captain meant, forcing a red-faced, disgusted expression to form across the girl's face. "Marcus!" Carina exclaimed, hitting the man's shoulder as his booming laughter was joined by all those paying attention including Tome, though she turned back out towards space a moment later.

Slowly she walked from the mid-deck of the bridge towards the windows through the dispersing crowd until she reached the glass, achieving a better view of the former mining colony. Placing a hand against the cold surface as the other found her stomach, she subconsciously smiled wide as her mind became lost in thought. This place would not only be her home but also the place where she would give birth to her and Sam's child; a child of Hagen and the New Republic they both had fought to create. Is this what he would have wanted? She liked to think so.

"I wish you could have seen this." She whispered to herself, hoping inside that somehow Sam would hear her and almost jumping at Latty's sudden voice. "Are you alright?" She asked as she approached, stopping by the girl's side with her arms crossed as Tome smiled up to her. "Yeah I'm alright, just thinking. Thank you for asking." She replied as Latty grinned, looking out at Hagen herself. "It really is impressive and with so much room to grow, it will be interesting what is made here." The woman stated as Tome nodded and looked back out to their rock. "I agree." She replied before looking back to Latty.

"Does that mean you are going to stay?" She asked, catching the woman's gaze from the corner of her eyes for a brief moment before returning out into space. "I haven't decided. The only place I ever truly belonged was on Heaven's End as part of Kurin's crew, but with that gone… me and Douglas have nowhere to go." Latty replied, thinking of how they no longer would enjoy the privileges or protections they once had and with as many enemies as they had formed over the years under Kurin's wing, Heaven's End was no longer a viable place to call home. "I would like to stay, but I wonder if there really is a place here for people like me and Douglas."

Hearing the tentative nature of her words, Tome reached out and placed a hand on her new friend's arm as well as smiled up at her when she looked to investigate the touch. "Of course there is. You and Douglas are no different than any of us. We all wanted a place we could live free, happy lives, and you fought for that dream. You have more than earned the right to call this place your home as well, so please stay." Tome reassured her as the uncertain woman looked down to the floor then out to the men and women around them, scanning through them until she landed on the bridge where the other pilots stood, laughing and joking amongst themselves; save for her brother, who simply smirked with his arms crossed.

Were they really just like them? With everything they had been through it seemed hard to accept that as reality. Sure, the others had been through their own individual trials, but none of them had done the things she and douglas had. "I don't know…" She replied after a brief silence to which Tome pouted. "Isn't there something worth staying for, even if it is small?" The girl countered, directing the woman's eyes to her, then back to the bridge where they focused on the booming dark-skinned man behind the railing as he placed one arm on Carina and the other on Amaury, mocking their engagement in a friendly way.

Although nobody else seemed to know, or at least they had not said anything, she had accepted Marcus' invitation for coffee, as well as two following dinner requests afterwards, and she had taken a liking to the man. Sure, he could be loud and was oftentimes annoying, but when it came to the time they had spent together thus far he had portrayed a calm, tactful approach that was not only fresh and welcoming but also quite gentlemanly, and she generally enjoyed herself on these little dates.

"Yeah, I guess there is." Latty responded once more following yet another silent period, bringing a smiled to the girl next to her. "Good, then it is settled; you are staying!" She joked with a wide grin as Latty did the same, turning back towards Geoff and the others as the colonel spoke.

"Alright everyone, you heard the Admiral. We will be at Hagen's doors within the hour and we will be entering inside to scout around. Not that we don't trust Aye or his crew's judgment, but there is a lot to lose here and the Admiral would rather our own inspection prior to allowing civilian contractors to move in and set up shop." Geoff stated as he returned to his captain's chair and looked around at his crew. "Marcus, Douglas; I want you to use your suits to provide light and assistance in clearing debris upon entry. Carina, take your engineers and check the generators. Latty, remain with the fleet for now just incase we need anything additional." Geoff began to dictate before looking towards Amaury.

In keeping with Dr. Emerson's orders he was not to fly, though he knew he wouldn't sit by and allow his now fiance to proceed into the dark space rock without being near. "Amaury, you are free to join Carina as escort, but I do not want you flying; Emerson's orders. Understood?" He questioned as the boy's head nodded, turning towards Carina with a smile. He didn't need to fly to make sure she was safe on this journey, or at least he hoped not. "What about me, Geoff? I can fly, this isn't a combat mission." Tome spoke out as she walked towards Geoff, whose eyes focused on the approaching girl apprehensively.

She was right, it wasn't a combat mission, but he was still unwilling to allow any chance of endangering her life, or the life of her child. "I know you want to help as see Hagen, but I think it is best if you wait until it is safe to do so. Your doctor specifically said light duty, and I intend to ensure this is seen through correctly, alright?" Geoff replied in a much softer tone than his instructions to Amaury, letting Tome know that this was more out of concern than anything else, and though she still frowned in disappointment she nodded. "Alright, fine." She replied as Geoff grinned a bit, thankful for her cooperation. "Everyone is dismissed; prepare for landing on Hagen!" He instructed with a joyful shout as the others saluted and cheered before scrambling off to their assigned tasks.

A short time later they found themselves standing inside of what they had sought all along. Having been a major resource mining and export hub utilized by the Federation during the time period leading up to and during the One Year War, Hagen was equipped with a rather large docking facility at the end of the asteroid, split into two, six-vessel external bays capable of housing large warships and freighters alike.

On top of that, it held four large airtight dry docks, each capable of taking in a single capital-class ship or several smaller vessels. Pulling the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ into dock next to one another, the entry teams wasted no time making their way down the gangways towards the main terminal, which proved to be impressive in its own right. Massive concrete hallways extended past the airlock doors, revealing the labyrinth of a city that had already been constructed for them to utilize.

It was enclosed however, more like a traditional space station, but as they neared the end of the terminal area and exited put one of several large doors, the world around them began to open up, revealing a setup of individual offices, warehouses and barracks; each standing on its own concrete foundation that was well routed into the rock below. Past these doors Hagen resembled Heaven's end, taking the form of a large open cavern ready for development.

Floating to a stop on the side of a structure, Amaury looked around in awe; neither his small helmet light nor the light on his sub-machine gun able to pierce the seemingly endless dark veil that extended out into the hollowed rock. "Wow…" he whispered as he felt Carina approach behind him, bringing him to lower his weapon to its tethered position at his side. "How far does this go?" He asked as she drifted to him and used his shoulder to stop her momentum and come to a stand next to him.

"Pretty far. From what we know these caverns run all the way to the Minovsky reactors at the heart of the rock. The maps of this place show it is several miles deep, but past the reactor housing there doesn't seem to be much. I wonder if this map is incomplete. " She replied, trying to hide her own awe while watching as Marcus' repaired Zakum floated carefully above them.

"Well there is only one way to find out. I guess we better get moving then." The pilot chimed in as he illuminated the cavern with his suit's spotlights, revealing just how much of the rock around the main terminal hubs had been mined. It seemed they took whatever they could have, leaving behind occasional massive pillars or rock for structural integrity similar to Heaven's End though these were much more uniform and evenly distributed. "He's right, let's keep moving." Carina replied, taking Amaury's hand gently to lead him along with her as she and the rest of the team progressed further through Hagen's channels, following behind Marcus as he illuminated their path.

In order to further facilitate artificial gravity, the mining caverns were set up similar to the colony; the 'ground' would always be away from the core to allow centrifugal force to push down on it, providing gravity. This resulted in long, sectioned areas that formed around the core. Because these caverns were not necessarily linear with one another it was difficult to find the center, even with a map, but after taking several wrong turns and dead ends, the engineering team made their way to the heart of the massive space rock, which to no-one's surprise was another massive, reinforced structure that housed each of the six fusion reactors separately.

Opening the large blast door that protected the inside of the facility it was clear that this was once again a large, concrete block-design that had multiple entrances leading to the other sectors of the base, but luckily it also contained signs pointing to the different reactors. Their first task would be to bring at least one of the generators online, as a single reactor would be enough to at least light the entire base and bring them out of the dark, allowing them to move onto more pressing matters such as atmospheric generation.

Moving to the closest reactor to their entrance they quickly began to access its condition, using Marcus' mobile suit as a light source while several men stood guard at random locations around the reactor building as a precaution. The facility had been abandoned by the Federation for quite some time but that didn't mean that other parties had not found interest in its hollow walls, and admittedly, without the lights, Amaury found it a bit eerie.

Floating beside the opened hatch of the Zakum as it knelt at the entrance to reactor bay, the boy kept his eyes open for anything unusual, occasionally looking for Carina's unique flight helmet to make sure she was alright. The reactors were only placed into an indefinite standby mode instead of being deactivated completely, so it wouldn't take them long to assess their condition and bring them online as long as they were alright, but that still didn't stop Marcus from becoming bored, leading him to chat Amaury's ear off about anything and everything he could.

"Soooo… Latty is Douglas' _sister_ , not his _girlfriend_. Who would have thought." He said as Amaury looked at him, taking noticed to how he sat with his arms behind his helmeted head and his feet up on his controls. "Yeah, we thought it was weird at first too." Amaury asked as Marcu's eyes shot towards him.

"Wait, what? You know already? How?" The man asked as Amaury looked back out to the work crew, once more searching for Carina. "He told me and Carina a few weeks ago. Didn't I tell you?" Amaury asked as Marcus scowled, sitting forward in his seat with his arms holding his knees in an over-eccentric but serious manner. "NO, you didn't tell me!" He yelled back as Amaury laughed under his breath and shook his head.

"It must have been right before the attack. I forgot all about it." The boy replied, even furthering his friend's annoyance. "Boy, when we get back to the ship I'm going to whoop your ass! Do you know how much time that would have saved me?! I would have asked her out weeks ago!" He jokingly carried on before Carina stepped in, looking up to the two boys with her hands on her hips.

"You will not touch my Amaury, or I will be the one kicking your ass Marcus!" She called back, stopping Marcus' complaining in its tracks as he looked down to her and sighed. "I was only kidding, chill out devil woman." He replied as Amaury smiled. Even though he knew Marcus was only joking he still held solace in knowing Carina would have his back, no matter what. "Good." Carina responded, just as the Minovsky Reactor came online and along with it all of the lights throughout Hagen.

With their success Amaury pushed off of the Zakum's chest and floated down to Carina's side, the two smiling wide at one another through their visors. "You did it!" He called out happily while coming to a stop by her side, bringing the girl to smile."No, we did it. Don't speak of me in such high regard." She replied as Amaury shook his head and placed his helmet to hers. "It's not my fault you are so amazing." The boy replied, causing her to blush as at same time Geoff called out to them on their frequency.

"We've got power, I take it you've got the first reactor online?" He asked as Carina nodded to herself. "Affirmative. We should have enough power to light the whole facility as well as begin oxygen production, but it won't be safe to breath in here for a few days. Don't take your helmet off till we test the air!" She joked in reply over their radio channel as Geoff laughed. Marcus, a secondary engineering crew and himself had been investigating the safety of the main facilities at the docks, though that task was now a lot easier with working lights.

"You know, this place is in really good shape." He responded as he floated through what he assumed was one of the main mining offices just outside of the dock's main area. "A bit dirty, but nothing that can't be ignored for the time being. What's the status of the other reactors?" He questioned as Carina's eyes looked back up to Amaury's; her green coloring visible even through the tint of the plexiglass between them.

With another smile she stood up straight and looked at the reactor in the open blast door behind her, then down the long hallway they stood in towards the others. Their crews were only now moving to unseal and investigate the other reactors, so it would still be some time before they knew what the status of all the units would be.

"Some of them will be an easy to get running, but the others I'm not so sure. I will let you know as soon as we find out more, alright?" She responded after a moment, to which Geoff immediately replied. "That's fine, don't rush. You are doing a great job, keep it up. Geoff out." His voices replied back before returning to his own frequency, leaving the two lovers standing in the massive chasm around them. "I need to check the other units, you coming along?" Carina asked, returning her attention to Amaury as he nodded, following the rest of them further into the reactor complex as he did so.

Heading back to the main terminal area an hour or two, the engineering team and their escorts were immediately greeted with the sight of arriving equipment, supplies and personnel from the colonies. These included several different contractors and organizations, each identified by their varied and unique uniforms though they all seemed to share the same excitement; so much so that she could feel it all around her. "They sure seem eager to get to work." Carina said aloud as they floated towards the center of the room, taking notice to Geoff as he floated towards them.

"Why wouldn't they be? This has to be one of the most exciting days of our lives, after all." The man replied from beneath his shark-tooth painted helmet, flipping to land on his feet before pushing back gently on Amaury and Carina to stop their flight. "How do the other reactors look? This is fine for now, but without gravity there isn't much the crews can do." He added as Carina nodded in reply.

"Well, we managed to bring reactor four online, two and three are operable, but the other three seemed to have suffered varying levels of damage, either from use or lack thereof. They will take some time getting operational, and before you ask, it will take at least four to power the nuclear pulse engines." The chief engineer stated with a smile as their leader laughed under his breath, finding her knowledge of his impending question humorous.

"You really are too smart, you know that Major Hughes?" He joked in return, and as she and Amaury laughed the all looked towards the airlock as it opened and allowed another batch of workers to enter, including Douglas' Zakum; its hands filled with heavy equipment likely too cumbersome to be moved by hand. "The Federation must have spent a pretty penny on this place. It's hard to believe they would just give it up, though I guess with the end of the war there wasn't much of a need for a mine like this. Especially so far away from the Earth's Sphere." Carina stated as she continued to look around at the massive terminal, which now seemed even larger than before in the light.

That had to have been the reason seeing as past the reactor complex remained the other half of the asteroid, nearly untouched by the miners. This untapped resource not only offered them room to expand but access to valuable resources as well, both to be used for their own industry as well as trading. "Their loss." Marcus interjected as his suit emerged from the passageway that lead out into Hagen and slowed with its vernier thrusters to a stop, allowing the pilot to exit and join his friends.

"That's right, this is ours now." The colonel replied, grabbing Marcus' hand to pull him in as well. "Now all that is left to make this place into a thriving city, one that will rival Heaven's End." The man replied as he too planted his feet to the ground and placed a hand on both Amaury and Geoff's shoulders, smiling to both men as well as Carina before they all once again looked out at their land in awe; each imagining what their future held in store, and just what kind of society their hard work and sacrifice would forge.


	36. Chapter 36: Next Time

Sliding to a stop in the same muddied fields on Stanton that Elise had used to train Tome, Aye looked out through the dissipating smoke at his opponent; a trainer GM piloted by his new student, taking a kneel after yet another failed attack. "What's the matter Amaury, tired already?" He asked with a smirk, watching as the battered machine remained still.

In the two weeks following their arrival at Hagen the boy had spent nearly every day by his side while he further familiarize himself with the SICOS in his neck, all under Emerson's watchful eye. It started slow, resembling the tests the doctor made him endure when he was first recovering from his injuries but then lead to more advanced techniques and exercises focused on strengthening his connection to the interface and preparing his body to use it the right way.

On top of it all Amaury still found himself getting used to operating a mobile suit while confined to gravity, though the difference was much less drastic than the simulator pods on Dresden made it seem. Narrowing his eyes on Amaury's suit a few hundred yards away, Aye swung his mace to the side, slinging the mud from the edge of the blunt weapon.

"Let's go, I don't have all day." Aye called out as he prepared his Ratnik for another series of strikes, feeling a bit underwhelmed. Emerson had warned him of this uncontrollable rage unleashed by the boy during the battle, peaking an interest to witness some of that power himself; an interest that had yet to be fulfilled. "Where's that fight you always show your foes, eh? Afraid you might end up on your back at full speed again?" He taunted once more through their communication channel, bringing Amaury to break his concentrated silence with an annoyed grunt.

"You'll be the one who ends up on their back this time." He replied as Aye scoffed, amused by the boys confidence. Even being a Newtype Aye held the advantage of having far more experience, both with the SICOS and in combat, and it seemed rather unlikely he would make good on his promise. "We'll see about that. Remember, once you beat me your training will be complete and you'll be allowed to go back to playing house." The mercenary leader replied once more as Amaury stared him down, panting from exhaustion. They had been at this nearly all day and he was right; the sooner he took Aye down, the sooner he could return to work at Carina's side.

With her work on the reactors entering its second week they had barely seen each other except for when they returned home to sleep, both too exhausted to do anything other than clean up and rest for the following day. Having been nearly inseparable since their time on Heaven's End, they both found themselves craving one another's company in the worst way, and if he ended this today he knew Carina would be happy, despite her insistence that he undergo the training in the first place.

With a deep breath the boy closed his eyes, concentrating on the connection between himself and his machine; his thoughts intertwined with the mobile suit through the neurological interface temporarily taken from his Jaeger. If he was going to do this, he would need to strike hard, fast and without mercy. "Well, are you going to-" Aye began to taunt as the boy suddenly stood and flew forward at maximum speed in one motion, catching the experienced fighter by surprise. Such a fluid control and flow of movement was the sign of a truly synced and understood connection with the SICOS.

"Hmph!" Aye scoffed, predicting and effectively blocking the strike of Amaury's weapon with relative ease, though the boy swiftly parried the defender's weapon away, avoided a strike from his weapon and boosted to the side, grinding the GM's feet into the mud as he did so before once more locking blades with the Ratnik before him. "Better, but you are still not impressing me." The man stated despite his surprise as he used his free hand to uppercut the GM in the cockpit, knocking him back and giving him the opportunity to counter with his own weapon though Amaury evaded and boosted backwards, zig-zagging across the muddied field in a feigned evasive maneuver.

Seeing this Aye laughed. "My turn!" He exclaimed with a hint of joy as he boosted forward after him, matching each of his zigs and zags and closing the distance between them quickly with the aid of his Ratnik's superior speed. Once it was close enough the Ratnik swung again, but with his increased reaction speed Amaury parried it away and went on the offensive, boosting shoulder-first into the Ratnik to knock it backwards.

Annoyed at the rough hit, Aye swiftly moved his bat in front of Amaury's to stop his following blow and pushed him back in turn with a wide grin. "Nice try, but still not enough!" He exclaimed, swinging his weapon down at Amaury's legs, though the boy boosted up and retracted them enough to avoid the blow. "I'm not done!" Amaury replied as he retaliated, cutting his thrust as he slammed his legs down on the weapon, burying it into the earth below with the full weight of the mobile suit with enough force to bend the tungsten bar and snap its rigid structure in half before Aye could even react.

Shocked by Amaury's use of the suit's own legs as a weapon, Aye's attention shot up from his shattered tool in time to grab his opponents own and deflect it away, leaving the two to exchange a series of strikes back and forth with little gain as neither soldier became unwilling to allow the other to gain the advantage while in the distance Emerson himself watched, his arms crossed as he stood on the hood of an armored truck, deeply concentrated on the fight before him.

Over the course of the past two weeks he had shown great improvement in control and stability while connected to a mobile suit through his SICOS and had experienced little interference or side effects from its use, reassuring Emerson's belief that his mental breakdown was indeed the result of sensory overload brought on by the device's sudden activation and use without any prior interface.

In this correct environment Amaury was learning quicker than any other patient who had received the SICOS, even Aye, though Emerson had no way to tell if this was simply by chance or if Amaury's status as a Newtype had anything to do with it. Since he had never performed the installation of his device into a Newtype before this was all fresh ground in uncharted territory, and although he never intended it Amaury had become the pinnacle of all his work and research, both because of the experimental SICOS in his neck as well as the effects it may have on his kind.

Narrowing his eyes on Aye as the mercenary struck over and over again at the boy in an attempt to subdue him, the doctor reached up and unmuted the headset he wore and switched it to a secondary channel, allowing him to speak directly to his proctor. "Are you playing with the boy or are you actually trying to take him out?" The doctor asked as Aye laughed under his breath, avoiding Amaury's damaging swings.

"What, this isn't enough?" He replied as Amaury finally landed a blow into the Ratnik's shoulder, damaging its functionality in the process. "It doesn't look like it from here. Looks like a tike half your age is beating your ass, actually." Emerson laughed as Aye was forced to boost back away from the boy, grimacing at the man's laughter as he looked over towards the vehicle the man stood on through his screens.

"I'm not sure why you're laughing old man, at least I can see over the control panel." Aye responded sharply, bringing an end to Emerson's laughter. "We will see who can't see over a control panel the next time your ass needs to be patched up. If your not fighting him with your all, then do so. This is pass or fail. Make him decide which it is." The doctor advised as his former pupil returned his attention back to the GM that charge at him. "So be it."

Adhering to Emerson's request Aye countered Amaury's charge and met him head on, matching the boy's tungsten bat with what remained of his own as sparks flew off into the air. "Time's up kid. You've failed to put me down and to be honest, I'm hungry." Aye taunted, deciding for the boy as he swung his stub of a bat under the GM's arms and struck the cockpit, knocking the suit back roughly. "A good drink and a fine woman's presence will be well deserved after this battle and my victory." He further mocked as he attempted to strike again, though Amaury parried the blow to the side and held the bat down.

"No!" He disputed angrily, his eyes focused on the banged and dented Ratnik in front of him. He wasn't going to lose again, this training had carried on enough! "You're not going anywhere!" He replied as he boosted forward and kneed into the Ratnik's chest before being knocked back to the side, forcing him once more to evade while Aye laid chase.

"Running from me will only make the inevitable even more drawn out. Give up, you are not ready." He argued as he gained on the Trainer GM and moved to strike, swinging his blade towards the machine's main thruster pack only to be blocked as the boy he targeted spun around and blocked the attack with his own weapon.

Anticipating the boy's block Aye swung his machine's damaged left arm around to strike but was surprised when Amaury's own hand caught his fist, bringing both machines to a stop in the mud as they found themselves locked in a power struggle. Grinding his teeth beneath his impressed smile, Aye could clearly hear the metal of both his only semi-functional arm and Amaury's GM creaking and moaning with the pressure of their grip.

Even with damage his much newer Ratnik frame should be able to overpower such an antiquated suit, saying quite a bit about the boy's connection and strength to keep the arm from buckling beneath him. "Why do you want to beat me so bad?" Aye asked in an almost mocking tone as Amaury's vision remained locked on him; sweat running down both of their faces as their suit's pushed their physical limits. "You said it yourself. If I beat you, I'm free to go. And to be honest, I'm quite tired of you." Amaury replied, copying the man's mocking tone from earlier as sparks flew from both his GM's arms as well as the two colliding tungsten bats.

"You must really want to see that girlfriend of yours." Aye replied while pushing back as hard as he possibly could against the boy, watching as he slowly began to gain the upper hand; his broken weapon slowly creeping closer towards the torso of the trainer suit. All momentum the boy had gained in his attack had subsided and his victory seemed less possible with each fleeting moment.

"I told you it wasn't enough, Amaury. Like I said, you are not ready to defeat the master." He again taunted as Amaury began to feel his GM's arms buckling beneath the weight of their combined force, however instead of surrendering the boy took a deep breath through his gnashing teeth and pushed himself even harder. "You are not my master!" He growled, igniting his suit's boosters to give himself more push than before while simultaneously turning his arms to better accommodate the force being exerted on them while Aye did the same, matching power with power.

"Come on, you are going to hurt yourself!" His proctor warned as Emerson joined in from afar, partially covering his face with his hand to avoid the backsplash from the two suits that now sent dirt and debris flying through the air.

"He's right Amaury, just give up." The Doctor spoke, attempting to dishearten the boy who still remained steadfast. "No, you won't beat me this time!" He snarled pushing his suit to the maximum as its forearms began to buckle, bringing a smirk across Aye's face as he matched his attempt. Any second now it would be over; he would tear the GM's arms from the machine, put Amaury on his back and call it a day. But just as he felt he was about to break the boy and his machine, it was he who broke.

"Guah, what?!" The man growled suddenly as he began to lose power in his Ratnik's arms, returning the advantage to the boy in front of him in a matter of moments, infuriating the man who knew what was happening; he was experiencing a SICOS malfunction. "Emerson, this piece of shit device of yours-" He cursed as the LED screen before him began to display 'sync error' warnings, and before could do anything in response, found himself no longer in control of his machine with his neural connection alone.

Sensing the sudden shift in power and unwilling to allow this opportunity to go to waste, Amaury acted on his initial instinct, and in one fell swoop tore the Ratnik's disabled arm from its torso and tossed it out into the field to their side. At the same time he also parried his opponent's blade away from himself before ramming him backwards with his shoulder to the ground, creating a massive splash of mud that nearly landed on the good doctor from his observation post and creating a loud thud that shook the ground for some distance around them.

With surprise Emerson watched as his former champion fell, leaving his newest test standing victorious over him, though even the GM fell to a knee following such an strenuous task. "Bravo Amaury, bravo!" He carried on with grin as he clapped his hands together and jumped down from the hood of military vehicle they had used to reach the training fields. While he had held hope that Amaury would be victorious he was not entirely convinced it was possible, further expanding his question of the true nature behind the boy's abilities.

"You see that Aye? That right there is progress; the future of my brainchild!" The doctor continued as Amaury opened his GM's hatch and emerged out onto the opened door, trying to catch his breath from beneath his helmet. Even with joy from his victory coursing through his veins, he was tired and drenched in sweat, just happy to be done. Wiping the salty stream from his eyes as it ran out from beneath the brim of the helmet Carina gave him, converted for the first time for ground combat, he looked out at Aye's Ratnik; smoke rising from the cooling thrusters in the mud as well as the severed left arm. He had yet to emerge from the cockpit, raising suspicion that he might be displeased with the results of their fight.

"Aye?" He called out between pants as he reached disconnected the now deactivated SICOS cable from his neck and stepped even further towards the edge of the hatch door. Why was he taking so long to exit? Was he really that mad? His eyes focused on the hatch for what seemed like an extended amount of time, he nearly jumped when the hatch in the machine's torso suddenly depressurized and the door opened, revealing Aye as he climbed out of the machine, though it was almost immediately clear something was wrong.

"Aye, you alright?" The boy asked as Aye stared over at him and then collapsed to his hands and knees, forcing a concerned grunt from Amaury's mouth as he pulled the descent winch from the side of the GM's hatchframe and began to rappel down.

"Emerson, something is wrong with Aye!" He called out as touched down to the earth below and began to ran towards the Ratnik while at the same time the doctor turned their vehicle on and propped himself up on the seat with the aid of a large bag, without which he could not see over the steering wheel to drive. "Hold on, I'll be there in a minute. As soon as I get this blasted seat adjusted!"

With a heavy sigh Carina wiped her grease-covered face with the back of her hand, floating next to the fifth reactor's coolant lines as she did so. As she had predicted, they were able to bring the two additional reactors online without issue, but in accordance with the plan to bring artificial gravity via centrifuge to Hagen they would need working reactors, leading the New Republic's engineering crews on a nearly round-the-clock mission to bring one of the three remaining units online.

So far they had struggled to do so, with the previous two days nearly yielding a successful result only to be shut down by a slew of miniscule but numerous problems; problems they hoped to have finally resolved. "Alright Barret, go ahead!" She called over her radio as the man she spoke to looked down at the console inside of reactor five's control room. "Roger! Stand clear of the coolant lines, just incase!" The man advised as Carina did so, putting some distance between herself and her patch job and out of harm's way as the reactor below her began to hum loudly at first, shaking it's housing in an almost violent fashion before slowly stabilizing out and returning to a nearly perfect functionality.

Looking all around the room she and a few others stood in for any sign of trouble, she couldn't hide her growing smile as it seemed as if their repairs had done the job. "Did we do it? What does it look like up there?" She called back to the control room in excitement as those above skimmed over the multiple gauges and meters inside the heart of reactor five. "It looks like we did it alright, she's purring like a kitten!" He exclaimed back as all those working on the project began to cheer and give one another high-fives along with other forms of celebrator mannerisms. Overjoyed, Carina began to make her way up to the control room and upon arrival wasted no time in proceeding over to their main communications network stations, picked up the radio and called back to the port terminal, also housing Hagen's makeshift command facilities and controls.

After only a moment or two of ringing inside of the command facility Geoff approached the phone and answered the line, a grin already on his face as their computer network picked up the sudden surge of energy filling Hagen's lines. "Hagen Command." He answered, almost immediately knowing Carina's voice and message based on the tone of her voice alone.

"Reactor four is online Colonel!" She immediately informed the commander who hummed in content. "I figured it was you calling, power readings from the core are much stronger than before. I knew today was going to be the day. Are your crews ready for gravity?" He asked as Carina looked around her and through the glass windows of the control room at those outside, floating around. People were one thing as they would slowly descend down to the ground with little issue as the gravity began to build up with the station's rotation, but it was crucial that any vital equipment be in a safe location to avoid injury or damage as it landed; especially the heavier pieces such as vehicles. "We are all good down here Geoff, but you better sound the alarm just incase." She replied as Geoff's grin intensified. "Already ahead of you."

"All personnel, reactor four is online. Nuclear Pulse Engine ignition sequence has commenced, T-minus ten minutes until gravity is to be restored. Prepare all vital and heavy equipment." A female voice announced overhead throughout the entire occupied space within Hagen as thousands of workers scrambled to lock down any last bits of equipment and machinery while others sat and prepared accordingly, having already done so in preparation for this moment.

Since Carina's engineers had been one of these groups, there wasn't much left for them to do but wait for the timer to draw down while they continued to watch the reactors for any hiccups, though it seemed unlikely anything else could go wrong. Pulling herself to a seated position at one of the control room desks, she slid her hand into a pouch attached to her belt and pulled out her cell phone, immediately opening it to her text messages and selected her fiance's name.

Busy with her work she hadn't had the opportunity to stop and message him, though judging by his own lack of messages she assumed he had been busy as well. She knew that Emerson had been riding him hard, and although she had wanted him to go through the doctor's testing to begin with she still worried about his well being.

" _Hey you,"_ She began to type, looking up with a smile temporarily as someone walked by her before returning to the text. " _Are you still training? I hope you are having a good day. I miss you. :c"_ She finished, sending the message before returning her attention to the work around her, checking the various gauges and readings once more. They needed this all to go well, as despite the progress being made in their home's development, they couldn't continue to move forward until they were able to put their feet on the ground. Hagen needed gravity.

Following Emerson's arrival on the scene he was greeted with the two men as the moved away from their mobile suits towards him, Amaury helping Aye walk with the man's arm over his shoulder as both of them panted in exhaustion, and he wasted no time forcing the two to rest on a set of boxes he pulled from back of the truck, setting up a small workshop right there in the field.

"Sit down, let me see what's wrong." Emerson ordered as Aye huffed, unhappy to be the one who had both lost and was now injured. He had been through this sort of issue before, many times actually, but it never was any better for his pride or his body. Pulling the metal protective plate off of the SICOS unit to expose the fine wiring and circuitry inside, Emerson pulled out his own personal set of tools from his belt and began to poke and prod inside of the man's neck. Feeling the first tool pierce into the SICOS, Aye's back tensed up and his body grew stiff, similar to Amaury's reaction the first time that he used the connection himself.

"G-God damnit Harrold, you know I can feel that right?!" Aye growled as the doctor smirked, using a magnifying monocle to see deeper inside of the port in his neck. "Oh, I know. Remember that crack about not seeing over the controls of a mobile suit?" He replied as he disconnected a small circuit from the inside of the machine and carefully removed it with a pair of tweezers before lifting it up to the light above to get a better look.

"Another fried circuit. Good thing I have spares, right?" He spoke out loud as he pocketed the spent chip and opened a separate pouch where he held spare SICOS parts in small, individual baggies. Feeling Emerson's attention shift, Aye attempted to move, only to be pushed back down onto the box he sat on. "Hold still, unless you want to be crippled for the rest of your life." He instructed, bringing the man to sigh as he looked up at Amaury; his eyes having not left him since the beginning of the repair attempt.

"What's the matter with you, milksop? Can't stomach the sight?" He asked as Amaury's head shook, bringing him to look down to Aye's hands that twitched as they held onto his knees. "No, it just looks familiar to when I… had issues." He replied, remembering his abrupt loss of control across his whole body and the fear that washed over him in that moment. "Is that going to happen to me as well?" He questioned, bringing Emerson to look towards him as Aye scoffed.

"No, you lucky bastard." The mercenary responded, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his forehead as he did so. "Didn't shortstop tell you that your SICOS is the newest model? A prototype designed to keep this from happening, as well as some other improvements. A prototype that was intended for me." Aye added as Amaury's eyes looked back to his, then to Emerson. Why would he do that, give him the upgraded SICOS intended for one of his own?

"Then why do I have it?" Amaury questioned, leading Aye to look up over his shoulder with a sly smirk, wondering the same thing while the doctor behind him huffed, shifting his vision from his current patient to the boy before them. "Short answer, it was the only SICOS I had readily available at the time. It was either you received the SICOS or you would never fly again. You should be grateful, not questioning my methods." The doctor replied, bringing the boy to shake his head again.

"I am grateful, doc. I just… you've known Aye longer than me, and he pays your salary." Amaury responded as the doctor laughed. "Eh, Aye's a big boy. He can handle it. Plus, I'm glad I did give you the prototype. The data I'll gather off of you is a million times more valuable than that gathered from this washed up flunkie." Emerson chuckled, bringing Aye's smirk to sour. "Washed up flunkie? Old man, the boy _literally_ just finished saying that I pay your salary. What is wrong with you, are you fuckin' brain dead?" He argued as Emerson replied, but feeling his newly recovered phone vibrating in his pocket, Amaury broke his concentration from the scene before him.

Instantly, a smile formed across his face as Carina's name displayed across his screen, and he wasted no time unlocking it to read what she had to say. With no use for a phone in his new life he had left the device in his locker at the Movement's headquarters when they departed for Operation Duality, but now with friends and especially Carina, he had a reason to remained connected. What once had been his mean of contacting his business partners back during his days as a criminal had now become a way for remain in touch with the one person who mattered the most to him.

Seeing her message his smile widened and he began to type his own reply, focused entirely on the text before him. " _I miss you too, and yeah, we are still here. I can't tell, but it looks like I might be done with my training. We should be back on Dresden soon."_ He replied, locking his phone's screen as he was suddenly confronted by his new background; a rather loving selfie of both Carina and him, laughing happily on a park bench within the colonies taken a few days prior.

As his smile widened he couldn't help but think back to that moment, recalling how much fun the two of them were having together, and just how truly happy she made him. Before he could even return the phone to his pocket the phone vibrated once more with her reply. " _YAY! That is great news! I will wait for you at the port, ok? I have some great news of my own! I love you, Amaury!"_ The boy read with a smile as he replied in return. " _I love you too Carina, i'll see you there."_

Seeing his distracted opponent before him, Aye laughed. "You bored already, huh? You get a single lucky win and suddenly it's all about the girlfriend." He chuckled as Amaury looked up to him, finally sliding his phone into his pocket as he did so. "It wasn't luck. I told you that you would be the one on your back, and that's how each result will be from now on." He replied with a smirk as Aye chuckled once more.

Hearing him boast reminded him more of himself than anything else, wondering if maybe a little too much had worn off on the boy. "I would _love_ to break that confidence kid, but there isn't going to be anymore results. At least not for the moment." The mercenary responded with his own grin, wincing as Emerson tightened the new circuit in place, leading Amaury to tilt his head a bit.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked, Aye's eyes shutting tightly temporarily as the new circuit kicked in and shot down his spine, bringing his fingers to twitch once more before returning everything to normal. "What I mean is our time is done here, kid. Contract with your government was to assist in the assault on Side 3. It was renewed and extended to help find and Hagen, and at last check it had not been extended any further." Aye responded, leaving the boy a bit set back. He had never really thought about it before, but deep down Aye and his remaining men were in fact mercenaries, regardless of the blood and sweat he shed in the name of the New Republic.

From what he understood, half of his crew including Alpha, his hot headed wingman, had returned to Heaven's End already, so it would make sense that he would want to regroup with them. "Ah." The boy replied after a few seconds delay, looking to Emerson. If Aye was leaving, was Emerson as well? "Are you going as well, Doc?" He questioned as the short, bearded man looked up at him with a grin.

"What, would ya miss me kid? Or are you not finished having me beat you into the ground with drills and training?" He responded. "No, it's not that. What… what if something happens to me and my SICOS? There isn't anyone in the New Republic who knows how it works, I… I don't want to take that chance." Amaury replied, bring both of them to laugh lightly.

"You are more worried about Carina than you are yourself, ain't ya?" The doctor asked to which the boy nodded, looking down at the mud on his boots, not wanting to think about what would become of her if he were to die from a malfunction of illness caused by the prototype machine. Spotting his suddenly grim demeanor, Emerson sighed, knowing just how much the woman he worried over meant to him while also remembering her wrathe. "I am going to remain here with the boy."

With a slight bit of surprise both Aye and Amaury looked to the man who closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Oh?" Aye questioned as their elder nodded, crossing his arms with one eye now open and looking to him in determination. "For the time being, yes. Come on Aye, you know it was the same way when you received your own SICOS back in the day. I was by your side twenty four seven for nearly a year, and not just because you were Patient Zero." He defended, shifting his eye now to Amaury as the other opened wide.

"He is no different. Your SICOS is tested and true, while his is an experiment in progress." He continued as Aye's grin grew. "Oh, so you're saying you are gonna choose your experiment instead of your very own employer, huh?" Aye joked as he stared at the doctor for a moment before waving off the issue in the air with a laugh. "Ah ha, relax. Do what you want, but you best believe that when I return with the first shipment of supplies for the New Republic that you will be installing the upgraded model into me as well. Ya dig?" He instructed, Emerson nodding in reply.

"Yeah yeah, keep your shirt on. You know where I keep them, just bring it with you when you come." The doctor stated as the two laughed, leaving Amaury both relieved and curious. He wouldn't have taken Aye as the kind of person to take on the roll of merchant between the New Republic and Heaven's End, but it would make sense to protect the haul from pirates and other marauders. Turning his attention back to the doctor, Amaury finally nodded.

"Thank you for staying." He said politely as Emerson nodded once more, his lingering grin remaining across his lips. "No need to thank me. Your training might be done, but I'm not finished with you yet, Green Demon." The man responded as Amaury grinned, looking back to the doctor as he spoke again. "But for now, we are done. Let's head home. I'm sure you've both got dinner plans anyway." Emerson jested, packing up his tools as he stepped away from Aye and headed for the truck; this time the passenger's seat, likely having had enough driving for one day.

A short while later Amaury made his way onto Dresden on a military commuter shuttle that travelled between the colonies, and upon entry to the inner terminal was almost immediately spotted by Carina, who had arrived their not long before and waited for Amaury as promised.

"Amaury!" She called out from the crowd as she ran towards him, lighting up both of their faces as they made eye contact for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. "Hey!" He called back, opening his arms wide as she ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck; the boy catching her in his arms and carefully swinging her around once as they kissed. "You seem excited. This can't only be because I'm done training, can it?" He joked as Carina giggled, staring into his eyes.

"What, can't I be excited that I get to see my fiance more now?" She joked, kissing him once more before he lowered her back to the ground and held her hands in his. "Of course you can. I sure am. I guessing you got the reactor online?" He asked as she nodded. "Yes! The reactor is finished, and with it Hagen now has gravity!" She replied, leading the boys eyes to light up.

"Really? That's great!" Amaury replied, gently squeezing her hands as he did so. Everyone in the New Republic knew how big of a deal this was, for now with functional gravity they could start to form their cities and homes in the former mining rock, truly ushering in their long-sought era of peace and prosperity.

"Mhmm! It may have taken some time, but things are finally going our way. Speaking of which, how did your training go today? Are you really finished with Emerson and Aye?" Carina questioned to change the subject, leading Amaury to reply, though before he could do so Doctor Emerson himself chimed in as he came closer to the two in the crowd of people around them.

"He is. At least for now." He answered as the two lovers looked to him. "Emerson has agreed to stay here with us for the time being to keep an eye on me." Amaury added, knowing that Carina was likely concerned about how well he would remain over time, bringing her a sense of relief. "That would make me feel much better about this, but are you sure this isn't too much?" She responded, though it was more formality than anything else, since in her opinion he was forever responsible for Amaury's health after implanting the SICOS in his neck without asking his consent. It had worked out well so far, but with what happened to him during the Federation's last attack, she refused to believe it's questionable safety was set in stone.

"Of course not Miss Hughes, or should I say Mrs. Dietrich? Amaury has become my priority for the time being. There is much to learn from him still, and I wouldn't want something to happen to him in my absence. When I am confident that he is safe for the long term I will return home, but until then I will stay here." He replied as he looked to the girl, who's worried look faded upon hearing the doctor speak of his own dedication to her beloved, bringing her to smile once more.

"Thank you, Harrold. It means alot." The girl responded after a short moment of silence, brining Emerson's face to beam bright for a brief moment. "Don't mention it! But if you excuse me, there is some fine whiskey calling my name. I'll see you all tomorrow!" He replied, smacking Amaury roughly on the back as he walked by and disappeared into the crowd, bringing their eyes to follow his short form until Carina's eyes spotted something else in the terminal, a short distance from them.

"Is that Elise?" She asked as Amaury turned to look as well, locking his own gaze on the blonde haired woman and her vibrant red jumpsuit, sticking out from the various colors around her while the person she spoke to was more inconspicuous, although it only took a moment to realize it was Geoff she was speaking to. What was she doing dressed up for flight?

"Come on Elise, one more night isn't going to kill you. Don't you think that your flight home would be alot better on a full night's sleep?" Geoff asked as Elise shook her head, the smallest grin she could muster visible as she once more declined his offer. "No, Geoff, I will be fine. My return home has been long overdue and I'm sure they are wondering where I have been. Thank you though." She replied as she turned to look towards Geoff, but shifted her eyes past him towards Carina and Amaury as they approached.

"What's up?" Carina asked with a smile, looking to her friends as Geoff smirked, crossing his arms in the process. "Oh, nothing. Just trying to convince Elise to stay one more night here on Dresden before she goes back… well, you know where." He replied, bringing the two lover's eyes to focus on her.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye?" The girl asked with a small smile, though it was clear that she was a bit hurt by the gesture, bringing Elise's own to fade. "I'm not very good with goodbyes." She responded in her typical fashion, trying to hide her own emotion though Carina could sense her hesitance. Just like Amaury she knew that Elise too would eventually need to go back to her home, but deep inside she had hoped she would have decided to stay. She was part of their family too, after all.

"All the more reason to stay with us one more night. It doesn't need to be anything formal or fancy, we can all just… get something to eat and hang out." Geoff again question, but this time before she had time to reject, Carina chimed in. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Come on Elise, you can't just leave us without allowing us to usher you off the right way! Please!" The girl pleaded as Elise looked to her with a mixed back of emotion. This was the exact reason she needed to leave. This friendship, while secretly welcomed, had become toxic to everything she had ever been taught, confusing both her heart and mind as her ideals fought against her desires.

"I don't know, I-" She began to reject once again, turning to Amaury's face as her piercing blue eyes locked to his own. This boy, this Newtype, had been the first person she was drawn to upon her inception into the group; the first semblance of her home she found in this New Republic, allowing the connection to first form before being overwhelmed by the care and support of the countless others encompassing its whole. Shifting her eyes to Carina, then back to Amaury before landing on Geoff, she felt that a lump had developed in her throat.

What she once saw as weakness in the form of connection to anyone other than herself had become a hard-fought acceptance of life, and while she knew she must return home, was what awaited her their as opposed to what she left behind was that truly in her best interest? Against her best interest she swallowed the words she planned to speak and replaced them with a new ones. "Alright." Elise agreed, lighting up her friend's faces as she did so.

"Great!" Geoff exclaimed with a laugh as Carina's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Oh, I'll get the others! This is great! Pick the place Geoff, let us know!" She yelled, grabbing Amaury's hand once again and leading him off through the crowd to get ready. "Let's go Amaury!" She laughed, leaving the two others behind as Geoff laughed, amused by just how crazy Carina was.

Having gathered together everyone from their crew the group of friends gathered once more at a busy local restaurant, celebrating their friendship as they prepared to send off one of their own back to her home with a heartfelt goodbye. "So we will see you here and there, escorting shipments coming to and from Mars, eh? I mean, my guess is that all that armament and such will need some sort of protection." Geoff stated as he buttered a piece of bread, his eyes skimming quickly around the table to each face.

Much to his surprise everyone who was invited joined them, even Douglas, who he was sure would have declined, though he seemed to have grown warmer in his relation with those around him. "Yeah you better come back! How else are you going to see my baby?" Tome joked as she looked to Elise next to her, pushing her shoulder gently to force the woman to smile. Doing just that, Elise looked to her kindly, then to her stomach. The traces of her pregnancy in the form of the smallest baby bump had just begun to show, and nobody in the room could deny the glow that seemed to radiate from the expectant mother's smile.

"I will come back. I can't say when, but I will." She replied as Marcus cheered loudly, nearly three drinks in the hole already before their meals were even served, forcing the others to laugh while Geoff raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Now Marcus, don't get us kicked out of here already. It took us forever to convince Elise to come out with us, don't make her regret it." He joked, looking back to Elise with his remaining smile as their eyes locked together momentarily before she looked down at the table. She was not use to such an occasion being about her and was doing her best to make it seem as if it wasn't.

"What? I didn't do anything, live a little Geoff!" Marcus replied, snagging Geoff into an argument as Carina seized the opportunity to speak to Elise without everyone's attention. "I really hope you do come back someday, even if it is only on business. You will always have a home here on Hagen." She spoke as Elise looked to her and nodded, her eyes once more refraining from making eye contact. "Thank you Carina. I like to believe that is true." The blonde haired woman responded as she continued to cycle through the flood of thoughts in her head before speaking again. "It is true, Elise." Amaury added to reassure the seemingly uneasy woman; her eyes darting to him and then back down in silence.

Understanding what Carina was capable of, she knew that she could likely feel the internal struggle she was experiencing, and rather than allow her the advantage of asking her what was wrong, the woman sought to explain first under controlled circumstances.

"Do you remember when we were first introduced? Right after duality. You were taking care of Amaury's injuries in the medical bay of the _Tortuga._ " She asked as both Amaury and Carina nodded, curious as to why she was bringing it up. "Yeah? What about it?" Amaury asked as Elise's eyes shifted between the others, all laughing at Geoff and Marcus' argument, and then back to the two beside her.

"I am sorry." The woman replied, locking eyes to both of them in equal increments back and forth, each surprised by her gesture. "Sorry? For what Elise?" Carina responded as the woman closed her eyes. "For the way I acted. I called Amaury stupid, and argued with you about it. I thought you were acting childish, defending him. But I was wrong, _it_ was wrong and I'm sorry." She again apologized, taking a breath to continue before either could interrupt her apologetic momentum.

"I realize now that Amaury wasn't stupid, and you were not being childish. You cared for him, and he did what he had to in order to make sure you were safe. Over the course of these past few months, both of you and the others have shown me something that I've never really felt before; a connection to those around me, and what it really means to have friends, even going as far as to accept those who were once your enemy into your ranks." She added, looking at the calm and collected Douglas across the table from her, managing to enjoy himself despite his stern appearance.

"I fought it at first, but even though it goes against everything I have ever been taught, it seems that I can't deny my enjoyment of it all. And the truth is, I am going to miss all of you." She finished, returning her eyes one last time to the two lovers as Carina sensed the genuine nature of her words radiating from her, almost moving her to tears.

"We are going to miss you too, Elise. You've been a great friend, even if you didn't want to be." The girl replied, thinking of all of the advice and comfort Elise had offered during her times of need. Her smile returning, Elise repeated the word over in her mind. Friend. Opening her mouth to speak again, Elise paused as the waitress for their table approached with a few helpers to bring their food to them as Geoff clapped his hands together. "Ah, here we go! Looks like we lasted long enough to see our meal, no thanks to Marcus." He joked as each meal was placed in front of its respective patron, waiting for everyone to begin eating before doing so himself.

At the meals end the group sat and talked for nearly an hour before slowly they began to disappear, each heading off to their own destinations accordingly and each sharing their own message to their departing friend in turn. Tome's message was the most heartfelt, having developed a seemingly close bond to the woman, moving both of them nearly to tears in the process before she departed alongside Amaury and Carina. Marcus and Latty had gone on their own way as well, leaving just Douglas, Geoff and Elise until Douglas himself called it for the night and departed.

Knowing that Elise would have a long flight home, Geoff made sure to cut the night early, and after picking up everyone's tabs as promised, stepped outside of the restaurant to the curb with Elise by his side. Placing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, he smiled to the woman next to him and took a deep breath with an equally drawn out sigh. "What?" She asked, bringing Geoff to speak.

"You know," He began as she looked to him, watching as his sight focus up at the other side of the colony; the street lights mimicking stars in the sky. "We've been through alot of bullshit since this all began. From Kurin's intervention to Monty's betrayal and the Federation's attack on the colonies. You were only hired to help us find mobile suits and then to take out the long distance communications site on Side 3. That was it, but yet you stayed." He continued as Elise listened intently, looking up at the same evening skyline.

"It was my choice. I guess, in the end, I wanted you all to succeed just as much as anyone else here with us today." She replied, bringing Geoff to look over at her. "I'm sure you've heard it enough for one day, but thank you. Thank you for sticking with us through it all. If it wasn't for you, none of this would have been possible. Amaury would be dead, so would Tome and likely countless others, myself included." Geoff added with a light chuckle, his eyes darting to a government helicopter flying above them through the city. "Not only did you save them, but you taught them and helped them grow and evolve. You were just as vital a part of this as anyone else, Elise."

Taking in what the man was saying Elise began to drift off, recalling all he spoke of. These things did not seem like such massive tasks in her mind, but to them they were. Had she really made that much of an impact on them? "So, this is what my life means to you then?" She asked abruptly, bringing Geoff's eyes back onto her as she continued to stare out into the city above them.

Even without context he knew what she spoke of; the speech he gave her during the battle for the colonies, bringing him once more to laugh as she shook his head. "No, not quite." He replied as her attention returned to the man while the both of them thought about just what was said that day. "You were right to believe that I don't truly know what your life is worth, Elise. There are things that I still don't know about you; things you've seen and been through, or have even done yourself. But that doesn't change what I see." He replied, slightly annoying the woman with his continued charade.

"And what is that?" She again was forced to ask, drawing a smile from him once again. "A strong, brave woman with a secret heart of gold that she only shows when it is needed most." Geoff finally admitted before shifting his eyes slightly to her side as he laughed a single time under his breath.

"And if I'm being quite honest, you are also quite beautiful, whether you think so or not. And before you ask; no, your appearance doesn't influence your worth to me." He added while out of his sight Elise's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed red for the first time in many, many years.

Why would he say that? Was this really how he felt, or was this the alcohol speaking for him? He had indulged in a few drinks but he did not appear drunk, leading her to believe that this may indeed be his true opinion of her. Slowly a smile formed over her own features and as he looked to her, shocked to see both the blush and her smile, though a moment later she punched his arm lightly.

"Shut up, Geoff." The blushing woman responded as they both laughed for a moment or two. "See? This is what I was talking about. This is the side of you that, no matter where you go, I hope you continue to show." He chuckled, but as their laughter died, he knew it was finally time for the two of them to part ways, at least for now.

"Well, I guess this is it then, huh? Until next time?" He stated as Elise looked to him and smiled. "Until next time." She replied as Geoff wrapped his arms around her into a tight hug, catching her off guard. Eyes wide, her hands froze for a moment before returning the gesture, even going as far as to close her eyes. "Stay safe, okay?" Geoff said softly as the breathless woman nodded in reply. "I will." She whispered back, watching as Geoff broke the embrace and stepped back from her a few steps.

"Goodbye, Elise." The man stated as he turned and began to walk away despite the hesitation to do so while Elise remained standing still. Did this really happen? Did her time in the New Republic really come to an end like this? Why did she regret leaving this way? Swallowing nervously she tightened her hands into loose fists, annoyed by both her indecision as well as her lack of anything she could say to match what Geoff had revealed. "Goodbye, Geoff." She finally did call out as she watched him move further and further away before looking back up to the sky above, lost in her thoughts, all alone.

Waking up early the next morning the woman began to set out on her journey, heading to the docks before she perceived anyone to be awake. The intent of her staying one more night was that she would be fully rested for her journey home but after both the night before and Geoff's words, she found herself for most of the night as she tossed and turned, playing back everything over and over again in her mind.

Moving past the terminal and artificial gravity to the drydock where her Scarlet Glint lay in wait for it's return to their motherland; its read paint seeming to glow amongst the other suits in the line, including the blasted and scarred Jaeger next to it. With little delay for interaction with any of the evening shift workers on the drydock she made her way towards the machine, but as she came closer she felt a presence around her and it didn't take long for her to spot Amaury. To her surprise he had not yet noticed her approach and instead seemed to be staring off into space through one of the view ports above his machine.

It was early; only five in the morning, leaving Elise curious as to what exactly he was doing there, especially by himself. Still burdened with her feelings of inclusion and family from the night before, Elise corrected her path using a catwalk and flew towards the Jaeger, waiting until she was nearly to the top to call his name.

"Amaury?" She called out, bringing his attention down to her as she flew up from below. "Hey." He replied, watching as she came to a stop beside him atop the machine's torso. "What are you doing up so early?" She questioned as he smiled and turned back out towards space.

"Carina was called back to Hagen this morning to help fix an issue with one of the reactors. It isn't a major issue, but it needed to be addressed right away. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I came to the dock with her and just... stayed." He replied as the woman now noticed it was Hagen he was staring at through space. He hadn't admitted to it, but through Carina as well as Tome she had learned of Amaury's troubled past, as well as what it was that haunted him during their last fight, bringing her to assume it was possible he was having the same visions from the past as he slept.

"Still having nightmares?" She questioned as Amaury looked back to her, initially confused as to how she knew, but chalking it up to the friendship that had developed between the woman and Carina, he nodded. "Sometimes. Emerson thinks it is just residual overload from the incident, but he said it should go away in time." The boy replied as Elise smirked, crossing her arms in the process.

"I warned you that something like this might happen." She jabbed, though she regretted doing so, and before Amaury could retaliate she sighed and spoke first. "I'm sorry. Old habits die hard." She added, pulling herself down to sit next to him for a moment as he watched her, unsure what she was about to say or do.

"Before you say it, I remember why you are risking your life using it. We've had this conversation before, and since you now are engaged to the person you seek to protect with it, I know it remains true." She spoke, her eyes subconsciously watching workers below as she did so.

"You know, you really are one of a kind Amaury Dietrich, just like Carina. Not only because of your gifts, but because of the capacity to love that you both share and your dedication to your cause as well as one another." Elise added as Amaury listened intently, though his mind became sidetracked at her mention of his gifts. Following their last battle Carina told him what the others said he was doing to them, even if he didn't intend to do so or even know he was doing it. How was this possible, and why did it happen?

"Why... why did I disrupt the others?" He replied, bringing Elise's piercing blue orbs back to him as his darted to the green paint below them in an almost shameful motion. "Carina said that Latty and Douglas were unable to use their Newtype abilities because of me. She said they couldn't focus, almost as if they were overwhelmed by my.. presence. How could this be?" He expanded his question as Elise remained silent, thinking back to what Douglas approached her with. He too sought the answers to the same dilemma, and just like then she still did not have the answers.

"I don't know." She replied blatantly, looking back down at the dock crews below. She too wondered why and how this was possible, but without an actual answer, all she could do was explain what she presumed was the truth.

"Your presence has always been strong. I felt it the moment you revealed yourself as a Newtype during your very first fight and in every battle since then. Maybe if I had been closer to the colonies during the battle in question I could have sensed it myself, and maybe then I could possibly explain it, but for now I do not have an answer. What I could tell you is that since I've known you that presence has become stronger with each passing battle. Each spent casing and rocket fired helped grow your abilities to the point where they are now, and under the stress of the SICOS' use and the situation developing during the battle, you woke up something inside of you that none of us knew was there. Not even you. That something is what has and will continue set you above the others." Elise explained, peeking Amaury's interest once again as he looked to her for guidance one more time.

"So it's... part of me? Part of my abilities?" The boy questioned as Elise nodded, leading Amaury to lower his head once more.

"What am I..." Amaury whispered in a sense of despair, once more feeling alienated from those around him, though Elise didn't see it that way, and she knew neither would Carina or the others. "A true child of Axis and the Green Demon of the New Republic." She answered as he looked up again to see her smiling. "But above that, you are Amaury. And that is what matters." Elise added as Amaury himself smiled and nodded subtly.

"Thank you, Elise." He replied as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, hearing what most have been the thousandth bout of gratitude in the last twenty four hours. "Don't thank me. I'm just being a friend." She answered him, as the two stared down below for a moment before Amaury thought of something else.

"Elise... if me and Carina have children... will they be like me?" He asked with a hint of concern, to which Elise shrugged. "Another question I don't have an answer to." She stated with a sigh. She had often wondered the same thing, both about Carina and Amaury as well as herself should she ever decide to do so, the thoughts likely brought on by Tome's own pregnancy.

"You two possess equally powerful albeit entirely different gifts. It is possible your offspring could have either of your abilities, a combination of both or neither, developing an ability all their own. We are only now reaching a point where third and fourth generation Newtypes are being created, so from now on it is all new to us." Elise replied as Amaury nodded, though she was not finished. "However, what I can say is this; any child conceived by your love for Carina would be a child of Hagen, just as you are a child of Axis. They will be the future of our people Amaury, both as Newtypes and as Spacenoids. Tome's child is no different." She added as Amaury's head tilted to the side a bit.

"Will their child be a Newtype as well, even if Sam wasn't?" He asked as Elise looked to him, knowing now that he hadn't really thought about it much. "Sam was a Newtype, just not a particularly strong one. That is not meant as an insult as he was never given time to develop. That was one thing Monty actually did right, finding the Newtypes with the most potential from Dresden's population. So, yes, their child will be a Newtype as well. And before you ask, no; Marcus is not a Newtype. I'm not sure what Monty saw in him, but I guess in the long run it paid off, regardless of his big mouth." Elise answered, bringing Amaury to laugh as Elise began to bring herself to her feet.

"Well, it is a long flight home. I better get going." The woman stated as she stood, taking one last look at Dresden's docks before turning to the head of the Jaeger behind Amaury and placing a hand to its forehead. She never would have guessed she would find someone like herself in the Earth's Sphere, let alone fight alongside him, and it would surely feel strange to return home where she once more would stand out against the others, unopposed.

"Alright. You better come visit us. Carina's orders." The boy joked as Elise's smile grew. "I will, don't worry. Tell her I said goodbye, alright?" She replied as Amaury nodded, watching as the woman kicked off from his suit and flew towards her own, destined to return back to her home. With both her and Aye gone it would be different around here, but he didn't doubt that they would see each other again.

Now in a proper holding cell inside of a military prison just outside of the former Federal capital of Dakar, Tegan sat at his bedside, looking down at the empty metal serving tray his dinner was brought to him on. In all honesty things couldn't get any worse, but the food in this facility was at least of higher quality than the slop being served to him aboard Margaret's ship. Wiping his face with a napkin he looked around him at the walls and other cells across the hall, each housing one of the men who he found himself locked up with; each facing multiple counts of treason and insubordination which, if convicted of, would result in their deaths.

"So, what's the plan? You said there would be a plan." One of the prisoners taunted as he approached the bars to his own cell, watching the prim and proper Tegan clean himself up. "All in due time. Have some patience, Sergeant Grouse." Tegan replied as Grouse sighed. "Patience? Do you know what's going on in Dakar right now Tegan? Huh? Right now they are selecting the participants for the military tribunal that is going to decide our fate; whether we live or die." He replied as Tegan shifted his vision to the man from the corner of his eyes.

Since the downfall of everything he had worked for he had struggled to remain calm, adapting this new persona of impervious faith and level headedness he deemed essential to the survival of both himself and those loyal to him, but as these moments continued to happen with more frequency it was truly testing this patience of his.

"They would have to find us guilty of something in order for that to happen." Tegan responded after a brief delay, angering Grouse in the process. "Are you daft? In what world do you think they won't find us guilty?! That determination is already well set in stone Tegan, with the only thing left to debate being whether to hang us from an eight foot rope, or a ten foot!" The man growled as Tegan bit his cheek, remaining calm amongst the direct opposition from someone he was trying to save. "Guard, I am finished with my meal." The Cerberus instead stated, sliding his tray out through the flat slot in his cell door as he did so, waiting for the guard to approach as he remained still.

"You know, your buddy across the cell here is right. If you honestly think there is any little possibility that the tribunal will side with you and let you free, you really have lost your mind." The cell block guard stated as he approached and took the metal tray from Tegan, staring him directly in the face with concentrated opposition as Tegan smirked. "We will see. Have you heard from Captain Pierce yet? It has been nearly a week since I requested to meet with her, yet I still haven't heard anything." He questioned as the guard laughed in his face.

"Yeah, they aint gonna happen any time soon. She received your request, but hasn't even said a word about it one way or the other." He replied as Tegan's eyes narrowed a bit in disgust, displeased by both Margaret's refusal to see reason and this man's defiance. "You see, the way I see it is she is probably trying her best not to come down here and shoot you herself. I would consider yourself lucky I was you." He again stated as Tegan's fists ground together.

"You've got a big mouth for someone who's stuck on guard duty in a prison. What did you do to get placed here, hmm? Stealing too many rations at basic?" Tegan questioned, poking fun at the guard's weight as the man scowled.

"Hey, I'd watch your mouth if I was you, or the next time you shower the water won't be the only thing beating down on your grimy little head, fuckin' punk." The military policeman retaliated as Tegan smirked. "I'd be watching your own. You never know who I might run into at the grocery store when I get my freedom back." Tegan threatened back, moving the guard to laughter in the process as he grabbed his nightstick and shoved it through the bars, threatening to hit and taze Tegan with it as he stood fast.

"Freedom? That is something you will never be able to own again. You really are fuckin' nuts, you know that?" The guard taunted as a sudden commotion erupted outside of the cell block as arguing rapidly turned into gunfire and then silence. Shocked, the guard standing before Tegan's cell grabbed ahold of his radio and called out of the cell block, which by protocol was locked upon his entry to prevent accidental inmate release.

"Tower, what's going on?" He asked with no reply, looking to Tegan and then back to the door he had entered the block through. "Tower, respond!" He again tried, but as he watched the bulletproof glass window he noticed that there were men on the other side, but that those men were not guards. "Son of a bitch, what have you done?! What is this?!" He cried out, turning to Tegan as the Cerberus smirked.

Realizing what this was, the guard froze. They were instructed that in the event that this happened they were to kill Tegan rather than allow him to be free, and as such he acted. Stepping back from the cell he drew his sidearm and aimed at the prisoner inside, but before he could fire the fateful shot, the cellblock door was blown off of its hinges and sent flying down the hall with such speed that upon impact with the guard kept moving, splattering him beneath the heavy steel as it struck the wall at the end of the small cell block. Still standing at the cell entrance, the seemingly unphased Tegan looked to the now deceased guard and grinned. "Freedom."

As the smoke in the cell block cleared nearly a dozen heavily armed soldiers entered the room with weapons drawn, each bearing the Cerberus Division's patch on their uniforms. Moving from cell to cell they shined their flashlights inside to confirm identities until reaching the one armed man who calmly awaited their arrival.

"I see my message reached its destination." Tegan stated as the men saluted him and quickly began working to unlock the cell door. "I apologize that it took so long, but the Federation made it nearly impossible to locate you." The leader of the raiders reported as Tegan waved him off with his remaining hand, stepping out form his cell and into the hall once the door was opened. "Don't apologize. You found me and that is all that matters." He replied, looking around at those around him as well as the others imprisoned in the block.

"Free them as well, they were all a part of this as well. We will need their help." He instructed as several of the soldiers began to cut through their cell doors as well while the squad leader approached Tegan again. "Cerberus, the council is conveigning at the Old Dakar Federal Building in the center of the city to begin their preliminary hearings as we speak. Much of the Federation's military leadership is there; what are your orders?" He asked as Tegan continued to look around, thinking quietly to himself. Eliminating the heads of the Federal Military was an opportunity they couldn't allow to slip through their fingers.

"Did you happen to bring what I requested from Cordova?" Tegan questioned in reply as the leader nodded. "Yes sir, everything you requested is standing by and all alarms from this facility are disabled and are continuously sending an 'all clear' signal. They won't know what's coming." He replied as Tegan grinned once more. "Excellent." With his reply the Cerberus began to walk towards the entrance to the cell block as the other soldiers and now liberated prisoners followed, stepping over blood and smoldering debris as they did so. "Let's move; we've got a tribunal to attend."


	37. Chapter 37: Madman's Trial

In Old Dakar the heads of the Federal military met to discuss both the forming conflict with the New Republic as well as severity of the war crimes committed by the once invincible Cerberus Squad's remaining leader Tegan Trevelyn, though nearly half way through the first day's delegation Counselor Wright felt as if he was the one on trial.

All blame seemed to balanced equally between Tegan's attempted uprising as well as Wright's suddenly weak policies, angering the Counselor. The same men that once praised his diplomatic approach to the Federation's problems now criticized him and sought to follow in Cousland's imperialistic shadow, not understanding that it was this point of view that had caused this mess in the long run.

"War? That's what you think will solve this? More violence?" Wright countered with a laugh as he shook his head, staring down the individuals amongst them who suggested the idea that a swift, grand strike would be the solution to their problems.

"Don't you see that this whole situation was the result of such thoughts? Look back over the past few months. How many protesters were killed because of reckless use of force? Huh? To these people we were a threat, and they acted on it." He continued before another member of the board interjected, General Robert Marks, head of the Federal Military Police; an elderly gentleman who walked with cane after losing the better part of his right lower leg during the One Year War.

"So you are saying that we should just let them go? What kind of message will that send to the other colonies, or hell, even nations here on Earth? That they can just uprise against the government without any repercussion on a whim?" He questioned as Wright stared him down, rubbing his forehead in the process.

"I'm not saying that this be allowed to continue, but what I am trying to say is that pure, unadulterated violence will only serve to bring more violence. We need to think more tactfully than this. Plus, even if we were to go to war, nobody has seen high nor here of the New Republic since the Second Fleet's efforts to stop the uprising. They've effectively gone dark." The Counselor replied though another man spoke shortly after.

"Impossible. How could six fully functional space colonies disappear into thin air?" The newcomer asked, bringing another to speak as well. "Five; we blew one up, remember?" He jested, mocking the Federation's current situation thought Wright did not find this humorous.

"You find that is funny, Admiral?" He snapped, shooting daggers into the man's eyes with his own as he slammed his fist to the table. "Those deaths are on us; that blood is on our hands, and you find it funny? This organization allowed Cerberus Division to exist under our noses without even the slightest clue. Regardless of how well Cousland hid it, that is on us. Don't you even fucking think about laughing." Wright scolded in frustration as the council's mediator, an older Councilman name Agustus Creed spoke out above everyone to ease the tense and nearly explosive mood in the room.

"Again, may I remind the council that we are here to primarily discuss the correct disciplinary action for Captain Tegan Trevelyn." He stated calmly, bringing Wright to look at him and nod. "You are right Counselor Creed, I apologize. This situation is bringing out the worst in us." He responded as a few others apologized as well, leaving Wright time to take a deep breath and gather his thoughts.

"One thing I feel we can all agree on is that Tegan is dangerous; much more dangerous than any other internal threat we've faced before, rivaling the events orchestrated by the Titans nearly thirty years ago. From what I have heard, it took little convincing for the boy to turn nearly half of Captain Pierce's fleet to his side, distorting the truth as well as their views, though whether or not this was by pure chance or overwhelming charismatic aptitude I don't know. However, even following the man's imprisonment I still continue to hear whispers of how this man is innocent and was acting in the best interest of the Federation. This troubles me deeply as it shows just how deep his deceit and corruption runs, as well as leads me to believe there may be others like him hidden amongst our ranks, pulling the strings as they bide for his release. General Marks, I do believe we have spoken about this." Wright dictated as he looked to the Military Police head across the table from him, holding a hand in his direction to bring him to speak as the older man leaned forward and folded his hands on the table with a nod.

"We have indeed, Counselor Wright. I've had my finest men monitoring chatter amongst our men and women and as the Counselor has stated, it seems that Trevelyn's popularity continues to grow despite his imprisonment and impending indictment for high treasons. The way they speak of him is like some kind of folk legend; a hero." General Marks replied as Wright shook his head.

"A legendary hero who attacked a civilian colony and caused what is believed to be nearly eight hundred thousand deaths, and all for what? To justify what Cousland instilled in both him and his deceased brother? The recklessness can not be allowed to spread. Tegan's trial, judgement and punishment must be quick, fair and perceived as just." Dorian Wright added in as a few others nodded in agreement while Counselor Creed looked to the council head.

"I'm assuming you will seek the death penalty for the boy if he is found guilty?" He questioned as Wright looked to him and with only a moments pause replied. "Absolutely."

Placed onto a brief twenty minute break before officially starting deliberations, Dorian walked form the meeting chamber he had spent the last four hours in and out into one of the side hallways leading out into the rest of the federal building, almost immediately greeted by Pierce as she leaned against the wall just outside of the doorway.

"Well well, done already?" She chimed in as Wright laughed once, taking a spot against the wall opposite from her. "Not even close. Creed wanted us to take a small break to help clear our heads before we really begin to start the deliberations." He replied with a shake of his head as the woman before him sighed.

She couldn't be present during the meeting since the subject matter directly involved her, but she could only image what was being said. Dorian had warned her ahead of time that questions of her loyalty would be asked as well as the effectiveness of her command, infuriating her even without knowing if it was mentioned.

"Did they say anything about me?" She asked with a feigned grin as she looked up to the man before her who nodded slowly, drinking from a bottle of water in his hand while avoiding eye contact; a bad sign. "Of course." He replied in hope that his top agent wouldn't ask anything more, but knowing her well he wasn't at all surprised when that wasn't the case.

"I'm guessing they were not exactly nice things." Margaret questioned once again as her superior sighed. "Not exactly. They want to know how it is possible that such an experienced and well decorated captain such as yourself could allow your men to be so easily influenced by someone they had only just met. They have even asked if it was possible that you or your crew were working with him from the very beginning." He hesitantly responded as Pierce ground her teeth and clenched her fists together tightly.

"How dare they… weren't even there." She growled under her breath; eyes drifting to the floor to avoid making her exact level of rage evident to her superior. "They don't know me or my crew; good men and women who died fighting Tegan and those rebels. Some of them may have been led astray, but not all of them." She continued as Dorian looked back up at her, understanding her anger at the whole situation. If he were in her shoes he would be just as angered and betrayed.

"Listen, you and I know the truth. This doubt is only temporary. As soon as they hear your side of the story and that of your crew we will clear your name as well as those of your men, especially those who died defending the Federation against both Tegan and the New Republic forces." Wright said to try and calm her, though she remained as equally angered and upset despite the attempt. How could they believe she or any of her crew would be working from the beginning to help aid in Tegan's genocide, the very belief of which tarnished not only her name but the name of the entire Second Defense Fleet.

"I shouldn't have trusted him." She replied, bringing the Counselor to look at her a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Now that is my fault. I ordered you to give him a chance... that is on my head, and I will live with it as well as deal with the consequences when they arise. So please Margaret; relax."

Looking back to Wright for a moment or two in silence the woman finally agreed with a subtle nod and heavy sigh. Becoming worked up now would only hinder any hope she had at clearing her name and the name of the Second Defense Fleet she had worked so hard to build up before Tegan attempted to knock it down.

"You are right, Counselor." Pierce responded as Wright laughed lightly under his breath. "Why are you calling me that? Nobody is watching us you know." He replied, leading Margaret to laugh and shake her head. "Formalities, I guess." The woman stated, brushing a loose hair from her face in the process.

"So now what?" She added as Wright looked down the hallway towards another door, making sure they were still alone so that he could discuss the meeting plan in private. "Well-" He began to explain before Margaret's phone began to ring on her belt.

With a sigh she reached underneath her Captain's Trenchcoat and pulled the phone from its holster with her left hand. "I'm sorry, one second." She apologized, stepping away from the counselor for a moment as she accepted the call and placed the phone to her ear.

"Pierce." Margaret answered, stopping in her tracks almost immediately. "What? Who is it?!" She questioned angrily, catching her partner's attention before the lights around them suddenly went out, as well as did her cellphone, creating an eerie silence in the pitch black, windowless hallway that ended when the ground began to shake with a low roaring sound. A power outage would not have affected her cell phone, nor would it have prevented the emergency lights from coming on inside of the building or created the quake she felt beneath her feet.

"Whats going on?" Wright questioned as Margaret froze. There was only one think she could think of capable of creating both the tremor below them as well as an electromagnetic pulse. After a moment she turned and ran back towards him in the darkness, opening the doors to the main conference room before pausing in horror with a loud gasp as through the windows a large spire of smoke in the shape of a mushroom emerged on the horizon outside of the city, coming from the direction of Fort Dakar military base.

"N-No... no it can't be possible..." She whispered as shook her head, turning to Wright as he too stepped inside and spotted the cloud, joining in the confusion and fear that had struck the others in the room.

"A nuclear attack... how? Who?!" He exclaimed as Margaret's eyes grew wide, watching the shockwave tear through the city, blasting windows out of their frames as it headed right towards them. "Dorian!" She cried out, knocking him backwards into the hallway before grabbing his arm to run as fast as they could, just as the windows in the conference room shattered and blasted chairs, tables, bookcases and bodies alike into the back wall.

Leading the man she was assigned to protect down the long series of hallways past scrambling military personnel, Margaret's heart raced, beating so loudly in her chest and ears that she could almost not hear Wright's stream of questions. "Who could have done this? Is it possible the New Republic made it to Earth somehow?" He said out loud as they reached the stairs that lead into the federal building's basement; a government bunker connected to a series of escape tunnels that secretly lead out of the city.

"I-I don't know." She replied, bringing Wright to stop in his tracks, almost nearing the bottom of the stairs. The last time she had seen the New Republic they were heading further out into space and were purely on the defensive and while she could not fully trust Geoff's motives now, she doubted that he would ever allow such a think to occur, though given what Tegan had done, she couldn't say for sure.

However, if it wasn't Zeon, who could it be? Tegan? As far as she knew he was still locked behind bars inside of the fort's military prison. "Could it have been _him_ , or one of _his_ men? Where are we going?" He asked, thinking the same thing as Margaret, though she shook her head. shook her head, pulling him with her.

"I don't know Dorian. It… it doesn't make sense." She replied once more, pointing towards the large room at the end of the stairs. "There are tunnels here we can use to escape. Not everyone knows about them, but I was informed of such upon our arrival just incase something like this were to occur… hopefully whoever was behind this won't know about them either. Don't stop, we've got to keep moving!" She instructed as they approached the bunker entrance guarded by two military policemen who rapidly ushered the employees from the federal building inside as well as any government staff who were there that day.

"Come on, come on! Move!" They ordered as lights inside of the bunker flickered on, remaining active and unaffected by the blast's electromagnetic pulse due to the bunker's design and location. Once inside they slowed their pace a bit, knowing that they were in a safe place despite being unsure where to go from there, giving Wright an opportunity to get more information from his body guard who frantically looked around, trying to form a plan of action.

"Who was it that called you?" He questioned, placing both of his hands on her shoulders as he did so. He had never seen her so shaken or afraid before, and while he could remain calm under pressure both in a boardroom and on a battlefield, her demeanor was causing him to be fearful as well.

"It was an officer from the Fort Dakar… he said that a pilot inside of the facility went rogue and attacked the others in a mobile suit. They d-dropped it to the ground and were approaching it to arrest the pilot when this... happened..." She explained, teetering off as her eyes looked to a group of policemen ushering other important military personnel into what appeared to be a tunnel entrance, likely to evacuate critical personnel from what was sure to become an inhospitable environment above.

"This way." She instructed, taking him by the arm again to drag him towards the entrance as his mind replayed her words. From the way it sounded a pilot at the base went rogue, embarking on a suicide mission and fighting until he could fight no more before taking his own life in a martyrdom attempt, detonating a nuclear weapon in the process.

He had seen such things before when he was just an recruit in the Federal Navy, stuck in a war against the last Neo-Zeon uprising. Those men and women were so dedicated to their cause that they would detonate their own suits when cornered, taking with them as many enemies as they could. But this was different.

A mobile suit's reactor was not capable of so much destruction however, and it was clear that a full sized nuclear warhead had been detonated. Unless purchased on the black market the New Republic could not possibly possess such a weapon, and even if they did, would they really send one of their own all the way here to die, just to send a message?

Approaching the tunnel entrance the two were stopped by the two guards who in their panic did not recognize Pierce's distinct coat nor did they identify the man with her in his black suit as Counselor Wright. "Military personnel only for now, I'm sorry." He instructed as Pierce steamed, pointing to her ranking insignias and fleet patch on her jacket as she angrily scowled.

"We are military personnel you dult! What is wrong with you?!" She snapped, bringing the guard to attempt a reply before freezing and immediately saluting as behind Wright approached General Marks, escorted by his own guards. "Let them through, she is correct. Right this way you two." The old man stated, leading the way as Wright and Pierce followed behind, entering the long concrete tunnel as they followed the stream of evacuees.

"I can see you are right to seek the death penalty for Mr. Trevelyn, Dorian. This is insanity; absolute insanity. Attacking Dakar with a nuclear weapon... he very clearly has no respect for human lives other than his own and those loyal to him." Marks stated as they walked, looking around him as he did so, catching Wright's attention. How could he have determined this was all Tegan's doing? He he really came to suspect the boy based on the circumstance as well?

"He is supposed to be in prison. How could he be orchestrating all of this? We have given him no leeway; no contact with the outside world." The counselor replied as Marks looked to him from the corner of his eye, then turned his vision forward once again.

"Who knows. Maybe one of his flunkies really is calling the shots now." The General replied, shortly after which Wright looked to his guard and stared into her eyes. He didn't have to speak for her to catch the same feeling she did; something wasn't adding up. If it was one of Tegan's followers who planned and was carrying out this attack, what was their goal? The blast likely destroyed the whole base including the prison, killing Tegan in the process. Did they break him out, or was this his final act to prevent him from being taken alive? Was that really what this was about? Revenge?

Traveling on their path down the tunnels Margaret remained alert, looking around them at all times, even if the guards before them were clearing the path already. "These tunnels are old." She stated out loud, noticing that as they travelled they ran into multiple forks and run-offs leading in all sorts of directions to unknown destinations. "The tunnels were built before the One Year War, likely following the last great war on Earth." General Marks informed the woman as he too looked up at the cracked surface of the tunnel, obviously repaired multiple times over its existence based on the places where mortar was spread across.

"There are no signs. How do we know we are going the right direction?" She asked as one of the guards pointed up to the ceiling at a pipe that ran along the corner. "Do you see the clamps on the pipe?" He questioned, shining a light up to them as he did so. "Yeah?" She replied. "The bolt heads face towards the city, while the nuts on the other side face the desert. As long as we follow the nuts we will find the end and with it, our freedom." He answered as Margaret took notice to what he was talking about. Genius really, but if they had not been with someone who was so knowledgeable with the subject, they would have ran the risk of getting lost in the immense underground labyrinth.

"They must not have wanted the enemy to have the advantage of knowing where they were going, should they have ever gained access." She replied, making sense of their decision as Marks grinned. "That is exactly correct, Captain. They may not have all sorts of fancy technology back in the day, but they sure knew how to work around it." The General responded, spotting brighter lights than usual up ahead.

"This must be one of the way stations. Come on, let's hurry." He instructed, moving ahead of Pierce and Wright until he was almost equal with his guards, who upon entering the well-lit room lowered their weapons. Initially surprised that they would drop their guard, it took until she too entered the way station to see why, as huddled inside were dozens of refugees seeking shelter from the attack outside. "God..." Wright whispered under his breath as he skimmed over the faces in the room, focusing on a pair of soldiers in the corner of the room who were attempting to operate a nearly ancient radio built into the wall of the bunker.

"Any luck with the outside?" One asked as the other shook his head. "No, nothing. We are completely cut off." He replied as the original soldier sighed and shook his head. "Fuck. What about the first group we sent through the tunnels? They were supposed to call on the landline radio at the end of the tunnel. Anything?" He asked again as once more his friend shook his head.

"Nothing from them, either." The other replied as General Marks watched. "It looks like the situation might be worse than we thought outside." The old man stated lightly as he looked back to his traveling posse before taking a seat temporarily in a chair; resting his feet while his vision focused down at the floor.

"How many more innocent people are going to die? After what happened here in '96 we promised the people of Dakar this would never happen again. We failed. Again." He stated in defeat as Wright shook his head. "We didn't fail them. This attack was intended to strike where we were most comfortable and to kill as many as possible; military and civilians alike. Whoever did this was a coward. We need to escape, find out who did this and stop them right now before any more die in a needless conflict, not sit here and wait for the 'all clear'. We need to find wherever these men are hiding, no matter how near or far, and take them down. And if that means war, so be it. After what happened here today, I'll fight them myself if I have to." He replied, bringing the General's attention back up to him with a laugh.

"Do you even remember how to shoot a gun, Dorian?" He joked, bringing a small grin to Pierce's face as Dorian smirked. "It's like riding a bicycle, isn't it?" He joked as Marks shook his head and returned to his feet. "No, not really." The General replied as he took a deep breath and looked to his guards. "Alright, let's keep moving. Is everyone ready?"

Continuing following their brief pause the group of five moved as fast as the General could withstand on his traditional, non-cybernetic peg leg, hobbling alongside the Counselor, occasionally exchanging words as they did so. "Robert, did anyone else make it out of meeting?" He questioned as General Marks looked to him, then forward once more.

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I was hitting the head when the weapon struck, so I didn't see the blast. I did see Creed in the lobby being rushed away with the help of his aide, but as far as the others go, I'm afraid I can't say one way or the other." He replied as Dorian's eyes narrowed on the walkway in front of them, passing over a metal grate that housed a drain below; water flowing into it from the tunnels ahead. They must have been reaching an incline, and with it, hopefully the exit.

"Each loss from that boardroom represents a grave blow in the Federation's leadership." He stated out loud with a sigh, looking back to the path in front of them. "At least the President was not present. That would have been a truly disastrous blow." Wright added to which Robert agreed before both men halted in their tracks, watching the two guards before them freeze and order them to do so as well. "What is it?" Margaret asked as she walked up to them, looking ahead at a four-way intersection in the tunnel, in the midst of which lay what appeared to be multiple bodies; the walls splattered with blood and bullet holes.

"I think we've found the first group who tried to come through the tunnels." One of the two guards stated as he looked to the other and nodded. "Stay here with the Counselor and the General." He instructed to Pierce as they began to walk forward cautiously towards the intersection with their weapons at the ready, preparing to search for what killed those in front of them while the female captain did as instructed and backed up towards the two diplomats behind her.

These people were shot to death, leading her to believe that they were not alone, and it would be too much of coincidence for this not to be related to the events occurring outside. "Let them clear it." She in turn instructed the two men as she placed her hand on the sidearm beneath her coat, watching the soldiers approach the bodies, stepping over them carefully until they reached the intersection. Clearing their corners they progressed through to the other side, looked to one another and motioned for the others to follow, which they did with slight hesitation.

"I don't get it." Pierce mumbled as they stepped through the gore and bloodshed to the other side. "Who would kill these people and then just leave?" She questioned just as the lights in the tunnel went out, creating yet another pitch black environment. "What the hell now?!" General Marks called out in annoyance before the lights flickered on once more, revealing that there were now four men in front of them; two kneeling down while two stood behind them; all four with their weapons trained down the hallway at the fleeing group.

"Fuck!" Wright called out as they opened fire with their suppressed weaponry, nearly escaping death as Pierce grabbed his arm and pulled him back with her into the intersection, seeking cover behind the right hallway corner as the bullets struck and killed the first guard while mortally wounding the second, as well as knocking General Marks onto his back with a bullet wound in his remaining leg.

"God damnit, not the good one!" He grumbled in pain, falling onto his back as the gunfire stopped; shell casings clanging off of the hard concrete tunnel floors in the silence that followed. "What t-the hell is the meaning of this?!" The General cursed as his eyes narrowed on the approaching soldiers, who now in the light were clearly associated with Cerberus Division; their black uniforms with red and gold insignias associated with no other unit in the military he was aware of.

"Damn you to hell, traitors!" He growled as form the distance a laugh echoed while the man it came from stepped forward from the shadowed tunnel. "Now now General Marks, that's not the word I would use." The man called, perking Pierce's ears as she immediately identified the source. "Tegan..." She whispered, looking to Wright whose face expressed the same shock. He did escape the prison, and he was the one behind all of this.

"Oh Counselor Wright!" He called out with a light chuckle, stepping forward past his guards as he did so, coming closer to the wounded soldier on the ground who held his neck to try and stop the bleeding from his wound. "I've been looking for you for quite some time now. Don't be shy, I won't shoot you. I promise." He continued to taunt, placing the heel of his boot on the dying soldier's neck.

With one motion he thrust down, crushing the man's damaged throat and finishing the job his men started. "At least, not yet." He added with a laugh as Wright's teeth ground together in anger. How did he escape? As requested he began to stand up and face the enemy before Pierce grabbed his sleeve and stopped him. "What are you doing, are you crazy?! He's going to kill you!" She pleaded as Dorian looked over at General Marks as he attempted to pull himself backwards away from the slowly approaching Cerberus with his arms.

"Is that Margaret Pierce I hear? Looks like a two for one sale today." He joked back as his men laughed. "If I don't do something he is going to kill Robert. Just be ready." The counselor replied, trailing off into a whisper as Pierce once again shook her head to warn him against such a move, though with a deep breath he stood anyway and stepped into the intersection in front of General Marks, coming face to face with Tegan for the first time, no more than twenty five feet away from him.

"So this is the renowned Dorian Wright, huh? You appear as I imagined you to be; skinny and weak." Tegan questioned as Wright stared him down, taking notice to his missing arm in the process. "I am Counselor Wright, that is correct. You must be Tegan Trevelyn. Nice to finally make your acquaintance." The counselor said, holding his hand out for Tegan to shake though as the Cerberus' eyes instead narrowed on him without acknowledging the gesture. "It's a little late for formalities, and that is Captain Trevelyn to you." He replied as Dorian nodded, acknowledging his status as he looked around at the dead around them.

"Did you do this? Did you and your men kill these innocent men and women?" He questioned despite knowing the obvious answer as Tegan chuckled a single time. "Innocent? No, no-no. They were not innocent. Anyone who supports your twisted, corrupt excuse for the Federation is not innocent. They are all traitors and guilty by association; a crime punishable by death." Tegan replied, causing Dorian to grind his teeth even further. These men and women had nothing to do with this, nor did all of those now dying in the streets above them. Did he intend to kill every man, woman and child that did not agree with him? He was insane.

"Listen to what your saying. You are not well; you need help." Wright replied as Tegan laughed again, placing his hand on his face in an over exaggerated mannerism. "Oh man, that's it right there. That's how I know you are Dorian Wright; bleeding heart counselor whose policies allowed yet another Neo-Zeon uprising." The man responded as he pointed his finger at wright and turned himself around to face his men for a brief moment before returning forward.

"You know, I always knew you would be the enemy in the end, Wright. Since the day I came under Admiral Cousland's command I was told that it was weak men like you who were the cause of all war, all bloodshed. All of the world wars, the conflicts in between, the One Year War; all of it is the fault of men like you. Cousland saw it too, and I thought it would be he who would stand up against the cancer you help grow, but honestly... I'm glad it's me." He continued, his demeanor swiftly changing as Wright grew even more impatient.

"Fine Tegan, here." He said as he took a step closer to the cerberus, holding his hands out to show that he had no weapon on him. "Look. You have me, but let Pierce and Marks go. They've done nothing wrong." Wright bargained as Tegan again laughed, crouched down and looked to the old man behind Dorian who squirming across the ground like some worm.

"Marks? You think Marks is innocent? He traded the life of his grandson for one of the highest-ranking politicians in the Federation. How else do you think we found you here? How do you think my men found me?" Tegan replied as Wright stared him down. "Your lying." The counselor responded as Tegan smirked.

"Ask him yourself. Go ahead Robert, tell the Counselor about our deal; about Jamison Marks, his wife Kimiko and their little girls, Madison and Sara." Tegan responded, purposely saying their names to add to his story as both Dorian and Pierce looked to the old man on the ground, blood pooling around him.

"I... I'm sorry Dorian... he threatened to kill my grandson in France... his whole family too. I had no choice." Robert admitted with shame in his eyes as Pierce stared him down in shock. That would explain how Tegan found them there, as well as how he knew it was Tegan who attacked Dakar and not the New Republic.

Turning his attention back to Tegan the counselor couldn't help but twitch in disgust of the whole situation. "You piece of shit... you are going to pay for everything you've done. You idolize Admiral Cousland so much, I'll make sure you join him in hell. That way you can tell that warmongering snake how much like him you grew up to be!" Dorian scolded, striking a nerve that caused Tegan to stand up and rear his remaining arm back to strike the counselor, triggering Pierce to reveal herself a she stood, drew her weapon and stepped in front of Dorian; her sights trained right on Tegan's face as he froze.

"Don't you dare!" She commanded through gnashing teeth as Tegan's grin returned. "There she is; the one responsible for my grave injury here, as well as the lack of a replacement." He laughed as he stood straight up once more, staring his former captain in the eyes. "How's... Geoff was his name, wasn't it? You were rather chummy with that traitor, weren't you?" He mocked, recalling the conversation he listened in on between the two opposing leaders as Margaret's scowled intensified.

"Fuck you Tegan. I should have killed you the second we captured you, at least then none of this would have happened in the first place!" She growled out loudly as Tegan laughed. "Do it then, huh? Do it. Let's see if you're faster with that handgun than you are with your mobile suit." Tegan tempted, sensing her thoughts as he attempted to trap her, which in her distraught state, she allowed him to do.

As the woman tightened her grip to pull the trigger Tegan sensed the coming moved and ducked, drawing his own sidearm from his holster as he did so. "Too slow!" He exclaimed, lifting his own weapon to fire at Pierce, striking her right arm twice as the bullets tore into the flesh, causing her to drop the weapon to the ground before Wright could grab her and pull her into the side passage once more with him.

"Kill them!" Tegan ordered his men as they began to shoot at the corner wall they hid behind and slowly progress forward, using caution as they were unsure if either of them had a gun of their own. Moving his head away from the shattering cover Dorian looked to his partner's wounds as she grabbed her bloodied arm. "Are you alright?!" He questioned frantically as Margaret shook her head.

"No, he... broke my fucking arm, and nicked an artery... fuck!" She cried out again in pain as she tried her best to control the bleeding, despite knowing that if she did not receive help soon with an injury this severe she was done for.

"Just hold on, I'll get us out of this... I just..." He reassured her, looking to her handgun on the ground below where she stood before dropping it. Without a gun of his own their only hope was for him to grab hers and kill all four armed men and Tegan in the matter of a split second; an impossible task that he would need to try in order to survive. Taking a deep breath he moved closer to the corner only to be pushed back away by the disappearing concrete, forcing him to abandon his impossible task.

"Shit…!" He growled, trying desperately to think of something else. At any second they would rush forward and kill both of them, but just as Wright was about to give up hope and say his goodbye to his loyal friend, he caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye; Marks.

"Dorian... here!" He heard as he watched the General grab the gun and throw it at him; an action witnessed by Tegan as well who wasted no time lifting his weapon and shooting the man until he was dead, though he was too slow to stop his throw. "Now! Go now!" He instructed knowing that now was the time to act, watching the two closest soldiers moving towards the corner as the other covered them.

Catching the firearm in his hands Wright looked up just as the first soldier rounded the corner towards him and Pierce. Lifting his weapon to fire at the counselor, Dorian immediately lifted his own weapon up and shot twice, striking the man once in the neck and then in the face, killing him instantly.

Feeling the first jerk of recoil and smelling the gunpowder burn seemed to bring back training that he had not used in years, and seizing the opportunity that presented itself, Dorian dove forward and grabbed the attacker's submachine gun from his corpse as it fell to the ground, sliding to a stop on his side below the next foe as he did so.

"What?! The soldier gasped as he was shot multiple times from below, bypassing his body armor as blood splattered across the Counselor's face as he shifted his eyes down through the falling enemies legs at Tegan as he remaining men who now aimed and fired at him, though the dead operative's body saved the man from the first few bullets, allowing him to quickly return behind cover, grabbing another magazine for his weapon from the downed soldier as he did so.

"They won't make that mistake twice." Dorian huffed as he panted, dropping the spent magazine from his gun and loading the new one while turning to Margaret who herself was surprised, even through her pain. "When d-did you become a master-gunfighter?" She mocked, wincing in agony as Dorian grinned.

"What? I told you I was a Marine during the war." He asked as he trained his weapon back to the corner in preparation for another attempt as Margaret replied. "Yeah but you didn't say you w-were special forces!" She complained as he laughed, standing on his knees as he did so. "I'll tell you about it later, once we are out of this." He responded as Tegan listened in, annoyed by his men's failure this far.

"There won't be a later Dorian. You and Margaret die today; right here, right now." The cerberus responded as he motioned for the other two to throw grenades down the hallway, but as they prepared to do so they heard shouting coming towards them from down the tunnel; the soldiers at the way stations had heard the gunfire and come to assist.

Seeing the approaching flashlights Tegan snarled under his breath and fired his handgun down the tunnel, trying to buy them whatever time he could. "Throw them and lets go; we won't win this fight." He instructed, backing down the tunnel toward the entrance as he continued to fire while his two men did as instructed before all three of them retreated, leaving Margaret, Dorian and two live grenades behind.

"Grenades!" Margaret called out, watching the two fragmentation devices bounce off of the wall and land between them and General Mark's body, forcing Dorian to act quickly. Reaching forward he grabbed the dead Cerberus operative's body and dragged it in between them and the nearest grenade before throwing Margaret on her back and laying half-way on top of her, canted slightly to the side of her that faced the grenade. "Cover your ears!" He instructed as she did as she was told, milliseconds before the grenades detonated, stirring up a thick cloud of smoke that made vision nearly impossible in the tunnel.

"This way!" One of the Federal soldiers called out as a large group of soldiers from the way station approached the site of the battle, carefully advancing up to the intersection and shining their flashlights around until spotting Dorian and Margaret on the ground, though they did not immediately identify them as friendly. "Hands up, hands up!" A soldier commanded as Dorian stood back up on his knees, coughing the from the dust in the room as he did so. "Hey, hey! It's me, Wright!" He called out, bringing the men to lower their weapons and rush to their aid.

"What happened here?!" One of them asked as he saw the bodies in the room ranging from the civilian to military and then to military official with the identification of General Marks' now shrapnel-ridden body. "It was Tegan Trevelyn and Cerberus division. They did all of this. The nuke, this attack. All of it." Dorian replied, as the soldier looked at him and noticed the blood under them and covering both of their clothes.

"Are you alright sir?!" One of them men questioned as Dorian nodded, helping Margaret sit up before he too placed his hands over her wound. "But she's not." He replied as Margaret shook her head.

"I-I'm alright... gah..." She tried to object, though Dorian wasn't going to have it. "Stop, you are going to be alright. Is anyone a medic?" He questioned as they all shook their heads, though one stepped forward after seeing her injury and offered a tourniquet for the time being. "No, but I have this. Medical staff are assembling outside at the end of the tunnel to help evacuate the wounded. Lets get this on her and get you two out." The soldier instructed, kneeling behind Margaret to easily access her arm above where two held as Dorian shook his head.

"We can't go that way, that's how they got in." He instructed as one of the soldiers shook his own head. "Hate to object sir, but we just spoke with some of our men on the outside; transports are waiting and are friendly. Whatever way they came in, it wasn't this one." The man replied as Dorian sighed. This was all too much. Their whole world was changing, and not for the better. More of their own men were likely to join Tegan now as he would likely gloat about what he had done in Dakar to express his military might and just how right he was. How far would this go? Who would stand with them, and against them?

Hearing Margaret whimper as the soldier tightened the tourniquet as tightly as possible he snapped from his thoughts and looked to her, though much to his surprise she held a grin beneath her dirty, pain stricken face. "Guess you... actually do remember how to shoot a gun. Want to tell me now h-how you became Counselor Gunfighter?" She joked as he laughed and nodded. "Sure. But first... who's Geoff?"

Some time later Tegan and his men broke out onto the surface, exiting an old service line that led to a communications antenna atop a mountain to the southwest of Dakar. "Here sir, let me help." One of the men said, holding out his hand for Tegan to grab as the climbed the ladder out of the service entrance, upon which he was reunited with the team of nearly fifty Cerberus operative that came to his rescue.

"Thank you, Corey." He replied to the leader of the team, standing up onto the mountainside as he turned to face the city they had just came from, the mushroom cloud from their attack still looming in the background. "You are going to all want one of these. Radiation levels in the area are still very, very high." Another stated, handing a mask to Tegan as well as the two men he exited the tunnel with as each donned it to match the others.

"I want to thank all of you; both for your loyalty as well as for saving me from that prison. What we have done here today will forever be remembered, as will our brother Lucas, who sacrificed himself to deliver the strongest message possible to the Federation; that we will not just standby and watch them hand our homes our or world over to those who live in space. We will be the saviors of Earth; those who will protect our way of life from destruction. Don't ever forget what we are fighting for. That is what separates us from them." The Cerberus stated as Corey stepped forward so that he stood beside their leader, all eyes out in the distance at the burning horizon.

"What now, Captain?" He asks as Tegan looks over his shoulder at his newest Lieutenant and takes a deep breath of filtered air. "We make for Cordova; our stronghold. They will come there first, and if we are to face the might of the Federation it would best be done on our own soil, and on our own terms." Tegan replied before turning to walk towards one of the armored vehicles their crew had acquired, looking to one of their communications officers as he did so.

"Send word to the other cells; take all those who wish to join us and meet at Cordova. We are in for one hell of a fight and I have a feeling it will take every one last of us to hold back the tide of invaders." He stated, climbing into the back of one the armored personnel carriers as he took one last look at Old Dakar, no doubt in his mind that what they had done would change the tide of the war.

The Federal leadership while still present was in fractured, buying them much needed time. Time to prepare and time to heal. "Mount up!" He ordered, disappearing inside of the machine as those who followed him did so as well, destined for their home once more.


	38. Chapter 38: DW-921

With the advent of gravity on the former mining base work aboard their new home was shifted into overdrive and an all-hands call was issued to anyone any all construction contractors within the colonies; it was time. Within days the asteroid now known as New Hagen was flooded with thousands of workers from all walks of life, ranging from carpenters to steelworkers, electricians to civil engineers, the young and the old; each one of them itching to get their hands dirty and begin forming their nation from the ground up. Plans were devised and approved for the first of the city's blocks by New Hagen's officials, and within the end of the first week the grand plan started to become more than words or paper, but a physical reality.

Roads began to spread out across the open chasm as underground utilities followed, weaving in and out of the great pillars around which their society would grow while valuable and essential infrastructure points were being constructed to allow electricity, water and sewage hookups to be run to the many foundations popping up across the ground. The city's footprint was spreading fast, but at the center of the city an area was sectioned off and left undisturbed; the future site of a large park with several government buildings near the end that would serve as the seat of government, not only in New Hagen but for the entire New Republic.

While their capital city began to grow at the rock's entrance, across the world Hagen's miners worked in the areas not yet hollowed out of their blessed rock, harvesting valuable materials for both use in their cities as well as export to their two allied nations in return for much needed supplies. This was quite lucky, as with the departure of both Elise and Aye back to their respective homes went the first request for supplies, ranging from the bare essentials such as bulk seeds for planting and water to fill Hagen's closed-circuit water system, to new mobile suits, weapons and ammunition as well; a rather costly expense.

So young in their world's construction their economy was still in its infancy and with their benefactors nearing the limit of what they could handle without pushing their own financial collapse there was little choice but to tap into these resources almost immediately, though by the estimation of the mine surveyors there was plenty of material aboard the rock for both export and use by its new owners.

To facilitate the needs of the fleet, a section of New Hagen's dock was designated as the epicenter for the repair and refit operations, earning the name Hagen Industries in the process; fitting and straightforward, though the name was a second choice. Some of the engineers had initially intended to name their new home 'Carina's Workshop' as a bit of a good humored joke, but the girl wouldn't allow it, stating that it wasn't just her who was responsible for their success and suggested the current name to much acclaim from those around hers.

Regardless of her opposition to her importance Carina once again found herself placed at the head of the operation, overseeing the repair as well as retrofitting of nearly eighteen mobile suits; each varying in design as well as damage, with a few clearly unable to be repaired and destined to be cannibalized for parts needed to complete others. It was a heavy burden to be placed on her shoulders, though she would lying to herself if she said she wanted to be anywhere besides arm-deep in a mobile suit, covered head to toe in grease.

She would have never dreamed that the day would come where mobile suit design and repair would become her daily life, but since the first time she was tasked with designing on-the-spot upgrades to the aged Zaku's recovered during Duality, she couldn't deny that she seemed to have found her true calling.

Deep inside she hoped that her parents would understand; her father was more of a pacifist than anything else and while her mother had spent the majority of the One Year War doing the same thing her daughter now was, she had always been adamant that her daughter should strive for something more. All she could do was hope they understood why she did what she had to keep her friends safe.

One way or another she couldn't afford to worry about her family matters however, as with how limited their reserve of parts were, they were in a tough spot. Until their new suits and supplies arrived they would be forced to make due with what they had available, leaving the men and women of the fleet's engineering division to begin forming replacement parts according to designs Carina and a few of the other engineers had designed; the first bits of equipment constructed on New Hagen.

Walking towards a group of engineers having a small coffee break, Carina looked around to the bays of their little workshop; each filled with a mobile suit that had yet to be repaired for various reasons, including Marcus and Tome's Zakums, Geoff's Stark and the Jaeger as well. Even after all the time that had passed since their last fight they had only managed to return half of the fleet's mobile suits to a combat ready status, though that was mostly due to their focus on Hagen's reactors.

Luckily both the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ had been rearmed and restored to their pre-liberation glory and despite the fact that the _Raditz_ remained in dry dock for continued repair, as it underwent transformation from a battleship to a large carrier that would be the flagship of the New Republic, this offered their defense force some much needed support. Even the _Tortuga_ had found itself a spot in the fleet, becoming the first tender vehicle assigned to their forces, even if it had nowhere to go at the moment and spent most of its own time in dock as well.

"Hey guys. Everything alright?" She asked as she came closer, spotting the concerned look across several of her engineers, though one of the men in their group shook his head. "Everything is fine chief. We were just talking about the work that needs to be done and discussing just how to go about it. Five of the remaining Jegan's in dock are nearly complete save for the extremities and some armor, which we don't have. Even if we did these Jegan's are not exactly as high performance as they once were; it's really not worth fixing them." The man replied while looking up at the suits in question, catching Carina's attention as she tilted her head slightly to the side with a gentle smile.

"Well, that's why we have to make them better, right?" She replied as the man sighed. "Yeah but with the resources we have, how is that possible? These suits are nearly twenty years old; older than that if you count the years that it took for them to pass testing and get them placed into service, and the parts we have don't match the frame as they are. Besides, it is going to take more than just a repair and a booster job to get these machines to outperform the Federation's, especially if they send more ReZELs or Jestas after us." The engineer responded once more, brining a slight tinge of annoyance to Carina's face.

"Well-" She began to scold, stopping to look up as a hand raised from the group before her. "Major Hughes, I think Engineer Larrs here has a solution." The voice said peaking the woman's interest, especially since another hand reached up from behind one of his fellow engineers and pulled it down.

Watching the group disperse from around around the two, it was clear it was Engineer Dana Larrs who was attempting to hide her friend's hand as if she was embarrassed by his claim. She hadn't known Dana prior to the New Republic's emergence, but from what she understood she was near the top of her own engineering class at the University of New York. "Do you have a design, Dana?" Carina asked, catching the short blonde girl's attention, almost frightening her as her fashed blushed dark and her eyes hid beneath her large framed glasses while she held a roll of blueprints close to her chest.

"O-Oh, no, I don't. I-I mean, I do, but… they aren't any good, and you surely don't want to see them." Dana replied as her friend and fellow engineer, a man a little older than both either of them, shook his head. "Come on Dana, they are good ideas! Let her see!" He reassured her though the girl once again shook her head. "I-I don't know…" She stuttered as Carina stepped forward with a smile. "He's right Dana, they could be just what we were looking for.I'd really like to see them. Please?" Carina asked, her gentle tone and friendly demeanor persuading the engineer before her to finally hand her the plans after a brief moment more.

"Alright, ma'am." She whispered as Carina laughed and shook her head. "Don't call me ma'am. We are all equal here, no matter what rank the navy has assigned me." She replied, opening up the blueprints, her eyes scanning over the drawings of a Jegan, including the areas subject to change which had been outlined in red highlighter.

Having access to a full list of the NRZ's inventory as far as mobile suits and components, Dana's plan called for the five remaining damaged Jegan's to have their reactors removed and replaced with a higher performance model salvaged from several RGC-83 GM Cannons that had been placed in storage on Achilles, unassembled and largely forgotten. The mobile suits that these reactors were inside of where heavily armored and were intended to carry beam cannons, but they were slow and sluggish to respond in flight, leading them to be considered outdated and obsolete compared to the Jegan.

Carina knew this, but from the plans before her it seemed that Dana believed that placed inside of the Jegan's somewhat modernized frame and no longer burdened to try and operate such power-hungry weapons, the reactor would be capable of increasing the Jegan's flight characteristics exponentially while at the same time allowing for increased armor. This plan reminded her more and more of her own plan use to the create the Zakum with each passing second, and after reviewing the plan briefly returned her attention back to the girl.

"You put a lot of thought into this redesign. I like it." She stated with a smile as she rolled the schematics back up and handed them back over to Dana, who looked up with wide eyes in surprise.

"R-Really? You like them?" The girl questioned to which Carina nodded once more. "I do like them. It will need to be tested further, but I actually think this might be the way to proceed with the remaining Jegans. Those suits are not whole, so it would be better to use their parts for something other than taking up space in the warehouse. We can even use the heads too, if you think that would work." She added as Dana's eyes lit up. Not only did her chief like her designs, but she was asking her opinion as well!

"Y-Yes, I think that would work with a little tweaking!" She replied almost immediately as Carina nodded. "Then that is what we will do with them. Your incharge." She stated, blowing Dana's mind as she looked around to the others in the group. "Don't be afraid to bring up your ideas, guys. You are here for a reason, and that reason isn't just to fix the mobile suits. Be creative, work together. That's all I ask." Carina preached before looking up towards the Jaeger in the distance, its open hatch barely touching against the catwalk extended in front of it as it stood still, both arms removed for repair in various locations.

"I'll the put work order to have the items shipped from Achilles immediately. As usual I'll be working on the other suits down the end. If you need anything, just ask on the radio, alright?" She stated before continuing on towards her friends suits, destined to stop at the Jaeger first which she was sure Amaury was working inside of.

He may not have been an engineer, but from the blueprints and notes that she had created for the machine over the course of their journey he was able to perform some routine tasks. This mostly included small things such as disconnecting cockpit components and removing them for systems maintenance or even changing out internal batteries but each small thing he could handle himself was something that she did not have too, especially since she still did not allow anyone but herself to work on the core components of the Jaeger, and she was sure he didn't understand just how much it meant to her that he was doing so.

Approaching the suit she stopped at the landing of the steps and looked up around her, focusing on Tome's battered Zakum as well as Marcus' which remained headless. Between the Zakum's and the Jaeger there were barely enough parts to go around, and even with the ability to fabricate parts it was difficult to bring the heavily modified relics online; replacing armor was one thing but trying to build manipulators and joints was another.

Making her way to the top of the scaffolding she climbed inside of the armless green mobile suit's cockpit and was immediately greeted by Amaury's smile as he sat in the Jaeger's seat, running through the blueprints on Carina's tablet in his lap one more time.

"Hey." The boy greeted in a happy tone as Carina smiled in return and moved closer, sitting in his lap with a bit of a plop while also being careful not to jar his bad leg. She had to be serious and professional in front of the dock workers to a certain extent, but in the remotely private cockpit she was free to express the feelings she held for her love more openly.

"Hello, hello." She hummed while kissing his cheek and looking at the tablets in his hand. "Whatcha looking at?" She asked, taking the tablet gently in her own so that they both could see while she made herself comfortable, leaning back and resting her head against his while he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her close.

"Just the schematics again, that's all. I've never really looked for all of the fuse boxes and switches in the cockpit before, so I figured I should at least familiarize myself with them, just incase I need to change them or reset them." He responded, looking to his future wife as she looked back up at him with a smile, a blush across her cheeks. "What?" He asked with a chuckle, leading her to shake her head. "Oh nothing, just thinking about how adorable you are when you talk like that." Carina joked as the two of them kissed again several times before stopping; the cockpit flooding with a loving aurora that she was sure he could feel as well, despite not being able to sense it.

"I'm just trying to help." The boy replied as she lowered the tablet to their side and crossed her arms, laying them down atop his as her hands stuck out from the long sleeves of his jacket she had resumed wearing daily in the cold docks. "I know you are babe, I know you are." Carina responded. Getting to spend more time with Amaury felt just about as wonderful as she had imagined, even if a good portion of that time was spent on Hagen working.

Feeling his love getting comfortable Amaury gently squeezed her, forcing her to giggle and look up at him as he leaned his head back against the seat behind him. "How's the Jaeger's arms? Any word?" He questioned out of curiosity as Carina shook her head and hummed in thought.

"Nothing yet, no. We've exhausted out supply of parts from our deal with Kurin, and even though I placed various Kampfer parts on the request forms from Heaven's End it is my understanding that the three Kurin had were rare finds, so I doubt there we will get anything from them." She replied, looking up as a bit of disappointment came over his features. She knew just how much this machine meant to him, not just because of its power or his connection to it, but because she herself had put so much work into it. Squeezing his arms gently she pulled his attention back to her and smiled, trying to ease some of his worry.

"Don't worry, I've got plenty of ideas for the Jaeger. It will take some time, but once the supplies from either Heaven's End or Mars arrive, I will begin testing some concepts. Besides, I don't think we will be hearing much from our enemies anytime soon; they would have to find us first." She added as Amaury's smile returned and he nodded in agreement. "I trust you." The boy replied, kissing the top of her head before asking his next question.

"I know you said that our new mobile suits will come from Mars, but did Elise happen to say exactly what they are going to be?" He asked, peaking Carina's interest as she once again shook her head. "She didn't say exactly what to expect, but she did say that whatever they were going to send would be better than what we have now. At first I wasn't sure how to take that, but she's right. The Zakums have served us well, but in the long run we will need something else, and honestly, I'm quite excited to see what she sends. She's been gone nearly a month so they should be arriving soon." Carina replied as Amaury hummed in acknowledgement.

Elise had never really spoke of Mars' military structure or power, so this intrigued him as well. Surely they were not still using the same mobile suits Zeon had during the One Year War, but if not, what did they have?

Looking up once more to see him in deep thought, Carina bit her lip. Since they were talking about the Jaeger there was something she wanted to discuss with him, but given the nature of what was on her mind, she was hesitant.

What happened to him during that battle was horrible. The memories that he described, the pain he endured; it was hard for her to understand fully what that felt like. But from his data recorder came something that she thought could be helpful, but she wouldn't dare push forward with it until she spoke to him first.

"Hey Amaury, while we are talking about the Jaeger, there is something I want to show you." She said, picking the tablet up from their side as she began to scroll through her files. Watching her Amaury tilted his head a bit in question, unsure of what it was or why her voice seemed to carry a nervous tone. "Is something wrong?" He asked as she shook her head.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just had an idea… umm…" She replied, thinking over what she was going to say carefully as she came across the files she was looking for, though she paused and took a deep breath. "Well, after watching you fight and reviewing the data from your last battle, I found that the SICOS seems to suit a more… close range fighting style." Carina began, first showing a short video first from the eyes of a fellow NRZ pilot's mobile suit as Amaury tore into an enemy a rapid speed before grabbing ahold of another's cockpit with his hand.

"You can move and attack almost as if the machine is an extension of your own body, even using your suit's hands like weapons. So... I made this." The girl added as she opened the next file, showing a mobile suit hand that was covered in what seemed to be long metal blades that stretched from the suit's second finger knuckle well past the tips.

"Claws?" Amaury asked out of curiosity while looking over the designs, Carina sheepishly nodding as he did so. "Not just claws; these blades are made of the same material and function just like our heat hawks, which we have plenty of laying around. With these you could tear and smash your way through your enemies with ease, while still maintaining maximum control of the Jaeger." Carina replied, remembering his vicious, almost feral attack on those who were shooting at the evacuation fleet.

She knew that his breakdown was an iffy subject to talk about even with the open nature of their relationship, and as his silence as he looked over the designed prompted her to speak again. "It's just an Idea and I would understand if you don't like it, I just thought it was worth pointing out. I swear, sometimes my mind just runs rampant. I'm sorry." She recanted, though the man whose arms were around here shook his head.

"Don't apologize babe, I like it." He replied, once more catching her attention as their eyes met. "Are you sure? I don't want you to think that I'm capitalizing on your pain." The girl asked as he again shook his head.

"No, no, I know you aren't. It makes sense though; I spent most of the last battle and even before that fighting with melee weapons… even hand to hand. This would make transferring fighting ranges easier and more efficient, and you are right about the SICOS, it does make the mobile suit feel like it is part of me. So, yeah. I think it's a good idea." Amaury replied as his vision remained locked to hers until a moment or so later her smile returned.

"Alright then. I will refine this design a bit and see what I can do." She responded, kissing his cheek once more before standing up to her feet. "Well, we better get to work. Tome's suit is on the backburner as is Geoff's, and Marcus' is scheduled to be taken apart later on, so today I am all yours." She joked as she held her hand out for Amaury who of course accepted and stood to his feet. "You'll always be all mine." He playfully joked as they both blushed, bringing her to pull him closer as their lips met again.

"You better believe it, my Amaury." She whispered with a smile as she stepped back and looked around the partially dismantled cockpit. He had done quite a good job so far, removing almost everything from the walls that needed to be taken out for the impending preventative maintenance. "Let me show you where those fuses are."

Despite constant distractions the two of them were able to remove the rest of the key components from Jaeger's cockpit, and nearing the end of the night the two sat inside of the empty space, covered in grease and sweat as they took a small break. "Well, that's that." Carina said with a small laugh, wiping sweat from her face with the back hand of her glove as Amaury nodded.

"Doing all of this really makes me appreciate what you and your team do." He replied as Carina chuckled once more. "Yeah well maybe you can stop destroying it then." She joked, kissing his cheek as she did so before sitting back against the wall next to him once again.

With the Jaeger's cockpit deconstructed it could undergo the much needed top to bottom overhaul that was well past due; perfect timing since until the correct parts to repair its arms and several other systems were fabricated it would remain out of service.

"I don't try to. Don't be a jerk." He joked, pushing her back gently as she giggled and laid against him, her head resting on his shoulder. With a loving hum the two sat there in silence for a minute or two before Carina once again brought up something that was on her mind, although this time it was on more of a happy tone. "Have you thought about where you want to live here on Hagen?" The girl asked as Amaury looked to her through the corner of his eyes, smiling as he did so.

"We have a choice?" He questioned in reply with a light chuckle as she rolled her eyes. "Of course we do silly. We could stay on Dresden for now, but once Hagen begins to take shape, I'm not sure what they will do with the colonies. They had talked about combining them into Hagen somehow, but I don't know exactly what they mean." She answered, looking up to him as well as she shifted towards him a little more, taking the hand that wasn't now wrapped around her in her own.

"We could live in the city closer to the docks, or in the more outlying agricultural areas. From what I understand the further away from the docks you travel it will be more and more like the countryside, with more populated areas scattered in between, kind of like the farming towns back on earth." She described as Amaury listened, thinking about it carefully. He had only ever lived in the city as far as he remembered, so the thought of living anywhere else seemed hard to imagine.

"Wherever you want." Amaury replied, unsure of his choice as she smiled back. He was always so eager to do whatever she wanted that she often wondered if he ever even thought of himself. Didn't he have an opinion of his own, or was it really always the same as hers?

"I'm not going to decide where we will spend the rest of our lives, Amaury. We need to decide that together." She responded lovingly as he rolled his eyes in a playful fashion. "Well let me ask this then; what was your home like growing up?" He countered as she smiled and stared into his eyes as her mind began to drift back to her childhood home.

"Well, we lived in a small city for most of my childhood, on a colony named Escape in Side 7. It was similar to Dresden, but to be honest, it was crowded and I didn't really care for it." Carina answered as she closed her eyes, recalling how she always used to enjoy her time away from the city, usually when they went to visit their grandparents.

"I use to love going to my grandparents in Australia. They had a big farm with fields of corn and other crops as far as you could see. My brothers and I would spend all day running around chasing each other and playing. It was the only place I ever felt as if I could breath without someone watching me." She added as Amaury continued to remain focused, smiling a bit as even he could sense the emotion in her words.

"Is that something you would want?" Amaury questioned as Carina's eyes opened to meet his. "To live on a farm?" She asked, looking back down at their hands as she sifted through the positives and negatives of it all. "I mean, I never really thought about it… but that does seem like something I would enjoy. The city wouldn't be too far away, so it would be an easy commute to the docks, and I'm not going to lie, the freedom of having a plot of land all to ourselves sure is tempting. We could have all of the privacy we wanted, room to do whatever we wished and when… when we have children, they would have plenty of free space to grow up." She again replied, widing Amaury's eyes as the mention of children.

The fact that she wished for children with him was nothing new, but the knowledge that those dreams were still there was reassuring. Smiling a bit more, Amaury nodded, gently squeezing his lover in the process.

"Then it's settled. We will live on our farm. I will learn how to grow vegetables and wear… coveralls?" He stated with a grin, his uncertainty of farming attire making Carina giggle while a heavy blush formed on her cheeks. "Yes Amaury, that is what farmers wear. If that is what you want, I do as well." The girl agreed, kissing her fiance passionately before looking down at her watch from the corner of her eye.

"Oh crap, its late, Tome's probably going to be waiting for us at the apartment!" She exclaimed as she jumped up to her feet and pulled her lover up with her before rushing out of Jaeger's stripped cockpit and out onto the catwalk, heading for the steps and inevitably Hagen's shuttle service, homeward bound.

As darkness grew on the colonies the nightlife of their streets came alive, inviting into the many shops, clubs and restaurants the tired, hungry and thirsty workforce of Hagen's construction, though there remained many services across their six worlds that remained manned, including the New Republic's flight control center, station out of Dresden.

Despite their round the clock presence, nightshift at the large control center was rather dim, and as such was staffed by merely five men, four of which operated their critical communications channels while a supervisor watched over them. "Okay, and then what happened?" The operator behind the emergency channel questioned out loud as he looked over his shoulder at their general flight controller, his feet kicked up on the console before him as he held his arms behind his head.

"I said to him, 'Listen man, if your gonna fuck me with this night shift crap, at least buy me dinner.'" The control operator replied as one of the other five gasped, bringing on their supervisors attention as she sat above the others in the center of the room.

"Ishmael, you did not say that to the director. You are so full of shit that is coming out of your ears." She said as the man she spoke to looked to her in disgust at her disbelief, lowering his feet back down to the floor as he did so.

"I certainly did, we can't let them keep pushing us down Natalie, so I put my foot down!" Ishmael replied as the emergency operator scoffed. "Yeah, and look where that got you. Your sitting with us here on night shift, aren't you?" He asked as the man's scowl turned to him.

"Shut up, they will catch the hint one day!" He replied as the others laughed vigorously at Ishmael's expense. Shaking his head the fourth operator, who was incharge of monitoring the NRZ's radar systems, turned back to the screen before him after heading the beeping of a new object on his monitor.

"Well looks like we have a flight coming in." He stated out loud as Natalie turned to him with a hint on confusion. "A flight this late? I don't have anything scheduled." She said as the radar operator shook his head. "No ma'am, its coming from outside of NRZ space." He responded, looking at the screen before him intently as he tried to analyze the signal source's size.

"Could it be one of the ships from either Heaven's End or Mars? Krupp said we should be expecting them any day now." The operator from the emergency channel station chimed in as he stood from his desk and walked towards the radar station, though the operator once more shook his head.

"No, no it can't be. It's way too small." The man once more described the item, bringing their supervisor to become slightly alarmed. "Ishmael hail that ship, it could still be a delivery vessel from New Hagen. It has to be if it found us all the way out here." Natalie instructed as the man sighed, still annoyed by their disbelief of his acts. "Fine." He huffed, placing his headset on his head as he tuned into the ship's displayed radio channel.

"Unidentified shuttle delta-whiskey niner-two-one; this is NRZ Flight Control; you are entering a restricted airspace without prior authorization. Please state your business in the New Republic." Operator Ishmael called out to the vessel, waiting anxiously for a moment or two for a reply before one was received.

"Flight control from Federal dignitary shuttle delta-whiskey niner-two-one. We have been dispatched on a diplomatic mission from Earth to the New Republic of Zeon. We are requesting docking and subsequent meeting with your government officials."

Hearing the shuttle's reply, all members of the flight control night crew froze. "Wha… what did they just say?" The radar operator questioned as Ishmael turned back towards their supervisor; the two as equally wide eyed as one another.

"How did they find us?!" He exclaimed, muting his headset as Natalie jumped up from her seat and walked over to the radar station, watching the signal approaching towards them at a high rate of speed.

It wasn't a large shuttle, and its hold could likely hold only a single mobile suit if that even, so it was highly unlikely that it was an attack. But the question remained as to how they found Hagen, prompting the woman's mind to race with millions of questions.

"I don't know, but we can't just not answer them." She replied as the emergency frequency operator stood from his chair to face the others. "Sure we can! We can not answer them and scramble the defense force, we-" He yelled as Natalie waved for him to stop, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. "Stop Mack, stop." She said, ignoring the bead of nervous cold sweat that ran down her forehead, looking back to Ishmael as the shuttle called back once more.

"New Republic flight control come in, this is Federal dignitary shuttle delta-whiskey niner-two-one, here on a diplomatic mission from Earth. We are nearing bingo fuel and need clearance to land. Please respond." The voice once again asked, bringing all eyes back to Natalie as she swallowed nervously. She needed to do something, even if that something was to stall the shuttle's approach until the proper authorities were contact.

Knowing this responsibility landed on her shoulders alone, Natalie motioned for Ishmael to hand over his headset, which the man was more than happy to do. "Here you go." He sarcastically declared as she took the mic and placed it on her own head, unmuting it after another brief moment of positive reinforcement.

"Federal dignitary shuttle, you will have to excuse the delay in response. Surely you understand your presence here was not expected and is quite a surprise." She began to reply, watching the blip on their screen appear closer and closer by the second. "As such, I'm afraid you will have to standby at the twenty kilometer exclusion zone until proper clearance can be acquired through our government authorities. We will remain in contact with you every fifteen minutes until proper authorization is given. If need be we will refuel at that mark, but do not move within that distance until told to do so, copy?" Natalie dictated, holding her breath until the shuttle replied.

"Roger, holding at twenty kilometer mark until granter permission to dock. Thank you." The pilot replied, bringing Natalie to mute her mike before exhaling, trying her best not to vomit from the nerves building in her throat as she looked to Ishmael now beside her. "What now?" He questioned, watching the woman look up towards the screen before them once more. "Contact Admiral Krupp immediately. We've got a major emergency on our hands."

Furiously drying his damp hair Amaury returned to the living room of their home, watching from between the loose strands of hair as Carina and Tome excitedly discussed their hopes for Hagen, sitting across the room from one another on separate couches following their meal. Carina was right to believe Tome would be waiting for them at the front door, though the girl didn't seem to mind much when she realized it would be one of Carina's mother's recipes they were eating for dinner.

Infact, she was so happy that she was more than eager to help Amaury as he prepared the ingredients for Carina while she cleaned up, despite her protest that it should have been Amaury who cleaned up first. Even furthering her guilt was the fact that he waited until after dinner, though with the way both he and Tome devoured their helping of her mother's stew, she was sure he didn't mind.

"I sure hope they put in more places to go out in Hagen than there are in the colonies; the clubs were so boring after so long!" Tome exclaimed as Carina laughed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I have to agree. Then again I was only ever really to one or two bars on Dresden, and to be fair, the second one was a dive." She replied, looking to Amaury as he tank top and sweatpants clad lover walked towards her, bringing her to smile. "And if I recall right, Amaury broke the front window and caused quite the scene." She jested as he sat down at her side, laughing lightly in the memory of that moment.

"It wasn't my fault. These two guys were harassing this beautiful woman, and I stepped in to stop them. They were the ones who decided my face was going to break that window, not me." He replied as Carina blushed, knowing that it was she who he was speaking of. They had not really ever discussed that moment, though they both understood it was the beginning moments of their relationship.

"Well, that beautiful woman was very, very grateful." She replied, taking his hand in his as she did so. Spotting their hands, Tome herself smiled and cleared her throat. "So, when's the wedding?" She asked as both Carina and Amaury looked to her and then back to one another with a hint of blush and lingering smile. As of recently there had been a lot of talk between the two lovers, though it had been mutually agreed between them that they would not rush their marriage, no matter how much both of them desired to do so.

"I don't know Tome, we are still talking about it." Carina replied as she looked back to her friend, sensing the excitement on her mind though she was not entirely sure why their wedding seemed to excite her so much. Hearing her reply, Tome crossed her arms, resting them slightly on her baby bump.

"Oh that's no fun! Why can't you guys do it sooner than later? I'm not going to fit in a dress much longer you know!" She retaliated as both of her friends laughed. "We can just wait until after your baby is born you know." Amaury responded between his laughs as Carina agreed. "Yeah Tome, we can wait until then at least." She added as Tome once again sighed, unsure why two people who loved one another so much would wait so long.

"Booooooring." The girl replied jokingly, laying on the couch on her back lazily as she stretched. It had been a long day for her as well, and with a full stomach it was starting to show.

"Sooooo…" Tome began once more as her friends continued to giggle to themselves, carefully rolling onto her side to face them as she did so. "Does anyone want to know what I'm having?" She questioned as both Carina and Amaury stared at her for a moment before Carina suddenly burst out.

"Guah, Tome, I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her in dismay as she turned to face towards Tome in both shame and embarrassment. She had been so caught up in things down at the dock as well as all of the associated paperwork that she had completely forgotten that today was the day she was supposed to find out her baby's sex. "I've just been so busy and between everything I-" Carina apologized as Tome laughed, sitting back up straight.

"Buahaha, Carina stop, its fine! I know there's alot going on right now!" Tome laughed back as she stood to her feet and walked over, plopping between the Carina and her fiance playfully, looking to each in turn. "Come on, tell us!" Amaury replied. "Yeah Tome, don't keep us waiting after all of that!" Carina added once more as Tome grinned before focusing forward and clearing her throat to build dramatic effect.

"Well… the baby is a boy." She admitted as her friend's faces lit up, but before anything else could be said, the expectant mother piped up one more time. "And the other is a girl!" She exclaimed, changing both of their emotions from that of joy to pure surprise.

"Wait, what?" Amaury questioned out loud as Carina stared at her friend. "Tome… are you having twins?" She asked as Tome's serious look slowly changed into a massive, teary eyed smile. "Yes!" Tome gasped happily, covering her mouth shortly after, unable to contain her excitement while her best friend lunged forward and wrapped ahold of her neck carefully with her arms; both squealing happily as Amaury watched.

"Oh my god Tome, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!" Carina finally responded after a moment as the two separated their hug and stared at one another. "I'm happy for _us_ ; our family just got that much bigger!" Tome corrected as her smile beamed brightly, bringing Amaury's to grow as well at the sight of just how happy she was. Would Carina be this excited for their own children as well?

The vibration of his phone ringing in his pocket catching him off guard, he reached inside to pull it out as he looked down at the screen, which displayed Geoff's name on the incoming call registry. "Now you have to come up with two names, you know." Amaury joked as he stood and walked from the two to answer the call, making Tome stick her tongue out at him in sarcastic manner until he answered his phone.

"Hey Colonel, what's up?" He questioned lightheartedly, though Geoff's response was less than subtle. "What are you doing? How come you and Carina are answering my messages? And where is Tome?" Geoff questioned sternly, bringing Amaury to know something was wrong; quite wrong for their usually relaxed commander to be this flustered.

"Tome is here with us. We made dinner; I probably didn't hear my phone ringing. What's wrong? Is something happening?" The boy responded out loud as Carina and Tome looked up in concern.

"Something is happening alright. I need you three to come to the flight control center immediately." He responded, bringing Amaury's heart to pound out of nervousness. Each time something like this happened lately it was an attack of some nature, and that was something the could not really handle right at this moment.

"Are we under attack?" He again questioned, bringing Carina to her feet as both girls looked on with oppressive anxiety, made even worse by Geoff's lack of a direct answer. "No, its… guah, Amaury just get your asses down here. I have to call Marcus and the others still. Just hurry." The man on the other end replied impatiently before quickling hanging up to reach out to the next person on his list.

The call over with, Amaury looked to his Carina with a blank face before placing his phone back in his pocket and scrambling to find the rest of his clothes or at the bare minimum a sock. "Amaury, what's wrong?" Carina asked as he sat down to dress himself, looking up at her as he did so.

"Something is going on, we have to get to the flight control tower." He responded, forcing a concerned look to the girl's face as she held a hand to her chest and turned to Tome, who shared the same nervous expression.

"Tome, you can stay here if you'd like." Carina said as the girl shook her head and stood to her own feet, careful not to lose balance at the sudden action. "Pssh are you kidding? I might not be able to fight, but I sure want to know what's going on. I'm coming with you" Tome replied as Carina acknowledged, moving to gather her own things as she donned her coveted jacket to ward off the crisp colony night air. What was going on?

Turning towards the door to the flight control room as it opened, Geoff silently looked too the trio and sighed in relief. It had been nearly an hour since he began to summon his pilots and only a handful had shown up, though out of his personal group only Douglas had arrived up until this point, angering the colonel.

These pilots were supposed to be ready to go at a moment's notice no matter the circumstances, though seeing as both were technically out of commision for one reason or another he could understand their relaxed demeanor, though it did not explain why Latty and Marcus had yet to respond.

"Took you long enough." Douglas stated in a rather cold tone as Tome looked around at the sheer amount of government officials and military advisors present, each of them gathered around Admiral Krupp and General Ishim as every eye focused on the large screen before them displaying the single signal source out in space, floating still just outside of the colony's exclusion zone.

"What's going on?" She questioned as Douglas looked over his shoulder towards Amaury, staring at him for a moment before turning slightly to look at the group and point towards the screen. "That. That's what's going on." The pilot noted in a somewhat rude tone as Amaury's eyes narrowed on his rival, then on the screen before them, his stomach twisting into a knot as he read the text indicating the signals nature as Carina read it out loud in disbelief.

"Federal dignitary shuttle…" Carina read, freezing with the fear that rushed through her body almost instantly. "No… n-no that can't be…" She stuttered, pulling her hands to her chest out of nervous habit. This place was supposed to be their shelter' a safe haven hidden away from everyone except the few they trusted with its location; how could the Federation have found them so easily?

"H-How did they find Hagen?!" Tome questioned out loud as the Admiral turned to face them; his emotional aurora conveigning his shock and fear, though his facial expression remained calm and composed despite the obviously grave nature of their discovery. "I'm not sure. By all means they should not have found this place… but apparently our location may not have been as secure as we thought." The Admiral replied as the three listened, bringing Amaury to grunt in disbelief.

If they knew where they were, how long would it be until they attack? Where was the rest of the fleet? "What do they want, have they said anything?" Carina asked as the Admiral shook his head.

"They claim to be on a diplomatic mission, sent here from the Earth's Sphere to meet with the New Republic's officials. What they want exactly we don't know, as we haven't responded to their message yet. We are currently in the process of trying to determine a course of action." The Admiral added as Douglas once again crossed his arms and stared up at the screen.

"We should just shoot it down. Nothing good will come out of a deal with the Federation, and if this emissary managed to find our locations, we shouldn't let them escape." Douglas replied, immediately catching Geoff's scowl as he turned to him.

"Where will that get us? Don't you think they will investigate an official's disappearance, especially when that official was off looking for us? Use your head; not everything can be solved by blowing something up." Colonel Walker replied in a harsh manner, immediately bringing Douglas to grunt in displeasure, though the Admiral agreed with Geoff.

"Geoff is right. If this emissary knew where we were, so will others. There is no point in shooting them down now. That will only make the situation worse." He stated, looking from the corner of his eye as from the shuttle came another transmission, though this time it was a familiar voice.

"New Republic Flight Control this Captain Margaret Pierce of the Federation's Second Defense Fleet aboard the emissary shuttle delta-whiskey nine twenty one. We have been on standby out here for nearly an hour and a half now with no change in permission status, are we going to be allowed to land or what? Counselor Wright isn't going to wait forever." The female captain questioned across their frequency, catching Geoff off guard as Amaury's eyes widened; the voice causing his teeth to grind in anger. He could still recall her interference in his fight against Tegan, as well as her taunts.

"It's her." He growled under his breath as Carina looked to him with a bit of confusion, sensing the fluctuation in his emotion. "What's wrong? Who is she?" She whispered, sensing how strong his anger had become. It wasn't nearly as bad as during the fight he spoke of under all of the stress he was under, but out of concern she took his hand in hers. "Tell me babe." She softly coerced, but in hearing her plee, Geoff answered first.

"Margaret Pierce." He stated out loud, the man himself scowling at her presence. Their last conversation had not been on the most pleasant of terms, seeing as she was not only the commander who allowed Tegan to commit his war crimes but who had now found their society out in the dark areas of the void. "She's the commander who was in charge of the attack on the colonies before Tegan took over." He stated as he placed his hand to his chin to stroke his light stubble in thought.

"But who is Counselor Wright, and why is she escorting him?" He questioned out loud, turning to Admiral Krupp as he thought out loud as well. "I knew of a man named Wright, though I can't remember his rank or title. He had been in the headlines in the months leading up to our Movement's attack, praised for his modern ideology and efforts to restructure the Navy into a sizeable yet appropriate size. This might be the same man, though I don't quite understand why he would come all the way out here." The Admiral replied as the group once more began to discuss their options, though their words seemed to drown out in the background as Carina turned to Amaury, concerned by his anger.

"Are you alright?" She whispered, taking more precaution this time to avoid the others from hearing, though Tome had caught on to his plight as well, sharing in his anger. "I'm fine. I'm just angry… she let Tegan destroy Pharos. All of those people died because of her." He replied, looking up to his love as she frowned, knowing that he was still thinking about that day. There wasn't a day that had gone by that anyone in the New Republic didn't remember Pharos' demise, but with how his past haunted him, she knew it hit him hard.

"I know you are, babe. Just take a deep breath. It's going to be alright, I promise." She comforted with a smile, bringing his eyes back to her as he sheepishly agreed. Squeezing his hand again, she discreetly kissed his cheek before turning her attention to Tome. "And you too. You can't afford to be this angry while carrying two children." Carina again stated bring Tome to huff.

"Yeah I know. I just want to knock her teeth out, that's all." The pregnant girl replied, almost bringing Carina to laugh as Admiral Krupp's loud sigh beckoned everyone's attention once more. "We are out of time, something must be done. What's the plan, Colonel Walker?" The Admiral questioned as the man took a deep breath and crossed his arms, knowing that quite a weight rested on his shoulders with such a decision.

If they were going to attack, they would have likely done so already, making it seem unlikely that it was a trap, and such a move would be rather out of character for Margaret.

"They know where we are now, there isn't any going back." He began, stepping forward to take control of the situation as he continued to look up at the camera screens watching out into space; the shuttles engine flicker barely visible in the dark void. "We have no choice. We have to hear them out." Geoff added as the Admiral watched him for a moment and then gave a single nod.

"Well, we have our decision then. Officer Rasheed, send the message. Have them dock at an appropriate bay and a uniformed group of nation guardsmen meet them to escort them to military HQ. We need this to look official; welcoming but strong at the same time. General, can I trust you to handle this task?" He questioned as General Ishim agreed. "I'll be there." The man replied as Krupp turned to Geoff again.

"Colonel Walker I would like you and your pilots present for this meeting as well. You seem to know this woman, and given your team's history fighting her forces, I believe their presence there may offer us some sort of advantage." He instructed as Geoff nodded with a sarcastic grin. "Should I get my best uniform first? You know, just to drive the point home?" He questioned as the Admiral shook his head with his own grin.

"That won't be necessary, we've kept them waiting long enough. Let's see what this Counselor Wright has to say." He replied, walking past the team as some of the others followed, though Geoff instead approached his team directly. "You heard the Admiral, are you up for this?" He questioned aloud to the trio of friends who arrived together as well as Douglas, all of which seemed to feel the same weight of uncertainty as he. "I'm in. Just because I can't fit in my flight suit anymore doesn't me I won't be there." Tome piped up first, bringing Geoff to laugh as Carina followed.

"Me too. If this is there way of offering some kind of peace, then I want to be there too." The girl added as Amaury instinctively agreed, following in his typical fashion of accompanying his fiancee wherever she want, leaving only Douglas without an answer. "Douglas?" Geoff questioned the cross-armed man, who while still unhappy with the situation, knew there was no other choice. "Fine." The ex-pirate finally agreed, bringing Geoff to grin again.

"Good. Don't worry about changing, we are heading there now. Let's give our friend Margaret Pierce a warm welcome, shall me?" He jested as they began to walk, each knowing that this meeting could change their fate forever, flooding Carina's senses with anxiety as she squeezed Amaury's hand, this time for her own health. They couldn't afford to wage a war with how they were now; if this was a chance for peace, they needed to take it.


	39. Chapter 39: The Emissary's Request

Within a half an hour the group assembled at the New Republic command center in the heart of Dresden as General Ishim and his guardsmen escorted their guests, anxiously awaiting their arrival in an almost dead silence. The reality of the their discovery had yet to fully set in for most of them, but they each understood that their location was long safe and that these negotiations could be the start of something much worse than anything they could have imagined.

While a formal greeting color guard stood by in the courtyard below, the rest progressed up to Admiral Krupp's office, discussing what was about to happen to as much as a degree as possible without knowing what exactly their emissary would say, though they were all warned ahead of time that no matter what was said they would need to remain calm; a sentiment knowingly expressed more so towards Douglas and the recently arrived Marcus and Latty, both of which were known to have a temper.

"So what should we be expecting from this meeting Geoff?" Krupp asked aloud as he watched out of his office window at the plaza below, the awaiting New Republic national guardsmen all standing at attention in the spotlight illuminated courtyard. Hearing the question Geoff, who had been leaning up against Krupp's desk with his arms crossed, looked to the Admiral, breaking his concentration.

"Well, I've never met this Wright character, but Margaret Pierce is a decisive, intelligent woman who isn't one for tricks; at least not on the battlefield, that is." He responded to the Admiral's question, gaining a chuckle from Douglas across the room.

"From the conversation you had with her it seems you know here better than that." Douglas taunted likely retaliation from his pre-emptive warning about sarcasm during the upcoming meeting, bringing Geoff to scowl at his cocky subordinate though the Admiral himself was the one who stopped it from escalating any further. "Alright, that's enough. We don't have time for this right now." He sternly interrupted, looking over his shoulder before looking back at the passing traffic.

"It seems that there must be some kind of honorable intention in their gesture. They would have seized the advantage of surprise if their intent was an attack, there is no doubt about that. However, what exactly they plan to offer us I don't know, and rest assured that I haven't the slightest intent to accept a request for surrender." He reassured his group of mean and women, looking again from the corner of his eye towards his star pilots, gathered amongst themselves in the far corner of the room away from the other military and civilian advisors, reassuring some of them though most of them already assumed such a thing. To go back now from how far they would come would not only be an insult to all of the pain the sacrifice the people of the New Republic had endured, but nearly impossible after what they had done.

In the far corner of the room Marcus nodded in agreement with the Admiral's statement and turned to look down at his friends, each of which still held a certain degree of anxiety and disgust across their face. "They wouldn't ask for a surrender, they know better." He stated, looking to Latty at his side.

"There is no way they forgot about our last fight. They definitely know better and like the Admiral said, if they really were here to fight us, they wouldn't have given up their element of surprise." The woman added, bringing Tome to add her own opinion.

"Maybe they really do want peace. I find it hard to believe that they would want a full scale war on their hands ethier, and since we have already shown them our intent to stay independent, maybe they have chosen a more diplomatic approach." The girl chimed only to receive a low laugh from Douglas as he walked back towards the group. "I don't think you understand the Federation's mentality Tome." He stated, coming to a stop between Latty and Tome, directly across from Carina and Amaury.

"The Federation wants peace, sure. But only if that peace is obtained the way they want it and on their own terms. You can't trust them; not even a little bit." Douglas added catching Amaury's scowl as he did so, annoyed by his negative attitude.

"You are one to talk." The boy responded, bringing Douglas to glare back at him. He knew what he meant by his remarks, though he also knew the boy didn't have the slightest clue was he was talking about. "If you don't know what you are talking about, then keep your mouth shut. I'd like you better that way." He retaliated as Amaury ground his teeth in anger, stopping at the tug of Carina's hand while at the same time Latty reached out and put a hand on Douglas' shoulder.

"Stop." She instructed, knowing that the two often bickered like this due to their rivalry, but unwilling to let it continue at such a time. "Yeah Amaury, let it go. Please." Carina added in turn, looking to Latty, Douglas and then the others shortly after. "We are all stressed out, but we can't allow it to get to us. If this isn't a peace mission and it is a declaration of war the only way we will survive is together, so we all need to get along." She continued as Douglas and Amaury continued to stare each other down until Amaury finally dropped his sight to the floor. She was right, like always; there was no reason for them to be fighting, especially not right now.

Douglas too broke his stare and looked to his sister with a huff, formulating a thought before Admiral Krupp spoke again. "They are here." He stated, watching three NRZ armored vehicles pull into the courtyard and promptly unload; his eye immediately caught by the woman's blue captain's coat under the bright lights below. "Everyone get ready. Remember, not a single mention of Mars, Elise or Heaven's End. Understood?" He questioned once more to universal understanding before taking a final deep breath to calm his nerves.

Not more than five minutes later a knock was heard at Admiral Krupp's door, prompting the acting-head of the New Republic's government to stand at attention in the center of the room with the others to either side of him. "Yes, yes, come in." He instructed, causing Carina's heart to race as she nervously held onto Amaury's hand out of sight; squeezing it and feeling his squeeze in return to try and calm her nerves as the doors opened revealing only two souls.

The first, a woman whose' dark hair barely touched the epaulettes of her personalized royal blue captain's trench coat, held her right arm to her stomach in a sling, while the other was a man who's attire was far more traditional; a black suit with matching tie, his hair slicked back neatly to a professional appearance.

"Acting Premier Krupp, I assume?" The man asked as the Admiral nodded, stepping forward slightly as the man extended his hand. "Yes that is correct, but mostly I am known as Admiral. You must be the emissary, Counselor Wright." Krupp replied as he reached out and shook the man's hand despite their obviously opposite sides of the line; a show of formality that the Admiral deemed necessary for a positive outcome of the negotiations.

"I am indeed, but you may call me Dorian. There is no need for formality here behind these closed doors." The counselor stated as he motioned a single hand to Margaret behind him, thought Geoff's eyes had been locked to her long before that, particularly her wounded arm. "My partner here is captain of the 2nd Federal Defense Fleet, Mar-" Dorian began to introduce the woman as her dark eyes skimmed through the crowd around her, darting to Geoff as he spoke out over their guest.

"Margaret Pierce." He hummed, crossing his arms as he did so, prompting the woman to smirk. "Hello Geoff." She responded as Dorian grinned. "It seems you two really do know each other already." He said as he waved his hand towards the others in the room, including the group of oddly dressed pilots to his side.

"Would you be so kind as to introduce me to the rest of your subordinates here? Just so I have a name to associate with each face in a friendly manner." The counselor requested, bringing him to motion to General Ishim who moved to the Admiral's right side first before moving on to the rest of the military and civilian staff until he returned to Geoff.

"This, as you already know, is Colonel Geoff Walker; acting head of the New Republic Joint Defense Fleet, as well as his most senior pilots." He continued, turning his head and hand to the group as he began to announce their names one by one; each new person catching Margaret's eyes as he did so. "In order towards you; Petty Officer Douglas Kriets, his sister and fellow Petty Officer, Latty Kriets, 1st Lieutenant Marcus Northwood. 1st Lieutenant Tome Himare, Major Carina Hughes, our chief engineer and last but not least, 1st Lieutenant Amaury Dietrich." The admiral finished, catching Margaret's attention at the mention of Amaury's name.

Instantly her eyes latched onto the boy who had previously remained unnoticed; her eyes meeting his blank glare before they scanned over the boy top to bottom, noting his casual attire as well as his missing left leg, clearly artificial from the knee down.

"The Green Demon." She said out loud with a bit of surprise and shock in her voice, recalling the boy's voice and unadulterated anger as his eyes narrowed on her in a subtle yet perturbed fashion. With everything that had happened since their fight she had nearly forgotten about the boy, and she certainly didn't expect this to be him.

This was the man who destroyed such a large percentage of her fleet? He wasn't more than twenty five years old, how could he have outclassed soldiers with years of training when he very clearly was no more than a novice?

"That's right; the Green Demon." Geoff replied for the boy as Amaury continued to stare, catching Margaret's eye for a moment before it returned to Amaury, and then to the two women next to him as she focused on Tome, who she had now noticed was pregnant. "And you are the girl that fought against Tegan, aren't you?" She asked, citing her rather uncommon name from their radio transmissions as the girl nodded.

"Yes, that is me." The curly haired mother-to-be replied, once more shocking the woman. From the size of the girl's stomach there wasn't any way she had not been pregnant during their last battle; did she willingly fly in combat carrying a child, or was it possible she didn't know? These men and women were barely old enough to drink, but yet they were some of the deadliest adversaries she had ever encountered.

Even their head engineer was a young woman in her twenties, making it even more impressive that she was capable of creating strong and efficient mobile suits out of well-outdated technology from around the One Year War. These were certainly not the same kind of Zeon soldiers her father talked about fighting during the One Year War, that was for certain.

"Well it's nice to meet all of you." Counselor Wright stated, breaking his partner's concentration on the group as he did so. He too had noticed her infatuation with the pilots as well and sought to break it before it escalated any further, a thought shared by Admiral Krupp who, upon seeing the opportunity to move first, held his hands behind his back and took a deep breath in preparation for what came next.

"So do tell me, Counselor Wright, what is the purpose of your diplomatic mission here on New Hagen?" He began to ask, intentionally referring to the man as 'counselor' to show that formalities would be retained for the time being. "I am obliged to inform you before we go any further that if it is terms of surrender you have come to discuss, you will be leaving disappointed. This New Republic was formed out of necessity to insure that people of space could live without the fear of death for simply existing in space. I will no betray their beliefs or their lives by taking their newfound freedom from them." Admiral Krupp warned as Dorian's lips curled into a genuine if not slightly shifty smile.

"Surrender?" He questioned as his demeanor evolved to include a small chuckle. "I wouldn't dare ask that of you. What would the point of putting years of work into your rebellion be if I were to ask you to just give it up." He replied as all eyes in the room gazed upon the man in confusion, including the seasoned admiral before him.

"Years of work? Explain, Counselor." The old man dictated, tightening his grip on his own wrist as Dorian looked around at the faces amongst the rising tension. He knew that his statement would cause some dysfunction and had no intention of masquerading his words any more.

"Following the Dresden Massacre and the formation of The Movement you were contacted by a series of donors willing to support your cause. The first of those donors was an anonymous man who only ever dealt indirectly with your organization through multiple money-laundering methods and off-shore style accounts, correct?" Wright questioned as the tension continued to rise, bringing Admiral Krupp to narrow his vision on the man with increasing uncertainty.

He knew too much about the organization for it to be simply gathered through intelligence agencies alone, even if there were spies amongst the New Republic's population. Something wasn't right. Seeing the Admiral's souring mood, Dorian placed his right hand in his pocket and grinned. "I'll take that silence as a yes. Well Premier, that man was me."

His words seemed to send a shockwave through the room that was met with several gasps from the crowd, pushing General Ishim to speak up despite his normally calm posture. "You're lying." He scoffed as Dorian shook his head.

"No, no I'm not, I swear. I, or more appropriately, the Federation's tax payers are the benefactor that made most of this possible, though not a single one of them knows it. Sure there were likely others given the severity of the Dresden Massacre's impact, but I believe you will find that the majority of your rebellions funds came through me. Apparently my agents were efficient at hiding its origins after all." He explained as the General and the others looked to Admiral Krupp who had remained quiet throughout the explanation, trying to decipher Dorian's truth for himself.

"Is he right? Is that really where the money came from?" Geoff questioned, breaking Krupp from his thoughts as he sighed. "Like he said, the money was highly laundered and transferred to us through multiple discrete sources without ever issuing a decree of intent or tagging a name to the funds." Krupp confirmed, lowering his eyes to the floor as he thought about what the man said.

"It is possible that what he says is true. Judging by his rather detailed knowledge of the situation, I would say it is highly probable. But why? Why would you fund a rebellion against your own people?" The Admiral questioned as Dorian looked at him, then to the others with a small breath.

"You all might not know me, but we are not as different as you think." The counselor stated, looking to those around him in the room, focusing on a new face every few seconds to best project that he would be speaking to them as a whole.

"I grew up in a colony on Side 2, also known as Hatte. During the war we remained sided with the Earth in a nearly neutral stance, but that didn't stop Zeon from attacking us, nor did it stop the Federation from treating us like we betrayed them upon our liberation. Our independence was quickly deconstructed down to only the most basics of rights and I watched as the garrison forces placed on our colonies sought out and smothered whatever they believed was even the slightest bit of Zeonic sympathy. It never neared the level of what was seen on Dresden, but I assure you for those accused, it was not nice. Like many of you I knew that there was something that could be done to lessen my people's suffering; a way to break the tension and ease the mistrust and hatred, and from those thoughts and ambitions I came up with a plan. I myself would join the Navy and help change the world as I knew it." Dorian narrated as if he was reading the story from the page of a book, though the tone of his voice and emotion brought forth with his body language showed genuine concern.

"That dream was childish I must admit, and with the advent of the Third Neo Zeon War it disappeared. No one man could change the world; watching the fragile peace between earth and her colonies falter and break showed me that." The Counselor continued as he lived the war over again in his mind, remembering their battles against the Zeon remnants as well as the bloody mop-up operations that followed in an attempt to prevent a four war from occurring.

"It wasn't until I was appointed to the Naval Reformation Committee that another opportunity presented itself for me to do what I could for my people. It was a complete coincidence that I was given this chance, and despite starting as merely a trustee to the board, I worked every day to get to the seat of power I have held now for five years; five years spent fighting to prevent the Federation from launching itself into another militaristic arms race that would lead us down the path to war. My plan was working well, but there were those who were so deep rooted in their old ways and beliefs that they refused to believe peace was possible; people like the late Admiral Cousland."

"I knew it would be a matter of time before a spark ignited the powder keg and once I heard what Colonel William Arndt had done on Dresden, I knew it was only a matter of time before war came to the Earth Sphere once more, forcing my hand and bringing me to come up with a new, more drastic plan to ensure peace would remain in the Earth's Sphere. That plan just so happened to involve you all." Dorian stated as some in the group discussed what he said amongst themselves including some of the pilots, though through it all both Carina and Amaury stayed silent as they stood hand in hand, trying to sort through the emissary's words.

At the mention of both Cousland's name and the events that unfolded on Dresden, Amaury's hand tensed up slightly, bringing Carina to move her other to his arm in a calming fashion while she herself thought about what all of this exactly meant. If he was their benefactor and it was his plan all along to cause the uprising, did that mean they were nothing more than his pawns? Even if they got what they wanted in the end the thought of being used infuriated her on the inside.

"So you used us." Geoff spoke out loud all of a sudden in a calm yet obviously perturbed manner, saying what many including Carina were thinking, prompting the Counselor and Margaret's attention to return to the man.

"In a way, yes. But not in the traditional sense. I did use you to help achieve my goals, but they are the same goals as yours; to create a safe place for those who live in space to call their own." He responded as Admiral Krupp cleared his throat while running his thumb down his jawline in thought.

"A safe place? Then why would you send an attack force after the colonies as we made our way here? And on that note, how did you find New Hagen, counselor? We left no trace of evidence suggesting this would be our final destination and placed multiple contingencies in order to prevent spies from relaying the location themselves." The Admiral next questioned as he looked back to the veteran officer in front of him out of respect, knowing there was still much that needed to be explained for this circle of events to be complete.

"It wasn't until after the Federal Garrison at Side 3's defeat and the death of Admiral Cousland's at your hands that the existence of Cerberus Division was revealed to the Federation, having been one of the Admiral's best kept secrets. Almost immediately assets from Cousland's office and home were seized by the military police, revealing a plethora of misdeeds committed both by the Admiral and his private military, including his backdoor deals with the pirates of the outer rim, providing them with mobile suits and other hardware to finance his deceitful plan to undermine me. Turns out that the attacks on our freighters by the pirates were all an elaborate plan to convince us the navy needed to be reinforced and expanded, that bastard." He scoffed, looking to the floor for a moment and then back to the crowd he addressed.

"Amongst all of this there was also detailed instructions on the location of the mythic Heaven's End; secret space fortress of pirates, thieves and criminals. Once we bought our way into landing we were able to find someone working for a merchant service who knew where to find you. It may have been easy to persuade him to give up Hagen's coordinates, but he wasn't cheap and turned into a rather costly endeavor." He stated as a chill shot through the air and up the spine of those who understood the severity of his news, including the former Heaven's End siblings who both knew that Heaven's End's survival relied on it's well hidden location, just like New Hagen.

"You bastard… what did you do to the End?!" Douglas shouted as Margaret glared at him and then to Latty as she too stepped forward in anger. Amaury too had become irritated at the counselor's statement, worrying about what had become of his former mentor Aye and was about to join the two in opposition before the Counselor walked in between the two former pirates and his partner in another attempt to prevent escalating the situation further.

"Whoa now, there is no need to be alarmed. No harm has come to Heaven's End, nor shall it, as Margaret and I were the only ones privy to its location, and I have to admit that upon seeing the society that has grown there, I feel no need to interfere." Dorian stated as he held his hands up to his waist in a calming motion before once more shifting his attention back to Krupp who had asked him the original question at hand.

"To answer your question Premier, I had no choice. For the long term success of this plan to work I must remain at such a position as to control the Federation's involvement. Simply waving off the idea of retaliation for what occured at Side 3 would cast such a shadow over my true intentions that it would be nearly impossible to maintain my seat on the council, and I'm sure by now you understand the importance in that I am what is keeping the Federation from raising an army and searching the stars for your world."

With Wright's answer came more displeased discussion from the crowd as well as another outburst, though this time it was from Amaury, not Douglas. "You let all of those people die over politics?!" The boy snarled, catching everyone in the room off guard.

He had done his best to follow Geoff's orders and keep calm despite the mounting anger building up inside of him, but it was too much and he could no longer keep silent. He refused to sit by and listen to this man claim that all of those who died on Pharos and in its defense were for this man's political stability. Caught off guard by his sudden move, Carina's eyes grew wide as she turned to her fiance.

"Amaury-" Carina warned, trying to calm him down before Dorian waved for her to stop, wanting to hear what the boy had to say. He had heard from Margaret that this boy could have likely been one of the most skilled amongst them and after seeing his physical appearance had taken an interest in him as well.

"It is not that simple; I specifically ordered them to take every action necessary to avoid civilian losses, and it was never my intention for a colony to be destroyed, or the evacuees to be fired upon. Tegan Trevelyn-" The counselor began to explain as Amaury's opened wide and an impulse of sudden psychic energy shot through the room, causing the three other Newtypes to wince and Carina to become burdened with his emotion.

"Tegan destroyed that colony; he killed all of those people… young and old. T-They burned to death on Pharos!" The young boy snapped as he ground his teeth and clenched his free hand tightly, shifting his eyes to Captain Pierce in that moment, bringing the cold woman to lock into his fiery gaze.

"And you… you let him do it!" He yelled, forcing a scowl to Margaret's face. She knew that what he said was true, even if he didn't understand the entire story. She was ordered to give Tegan a chance, but she should have known he was a lost cause, though she could have never predicted he would so easily take her own men from her.

"There's that temper again." Margaret replied with a smirk despite the negative emotion that surrounded her, causing Amaury to growl under his breath once again as Dorian spoke up.

"She was acting under my orders, Amaury. It is Amaury, isn't it?" He said, taking a step towards the boy as Marcus and Latty moved to allow him the room to confront him as Amaury remained still, as did Carina who was reluctant to leave her future husband's side; their interlocked fingers catching Dorian's sight for a brief second.

"Like you said, Tegan is to blame for the deaths of Pharos' innocences, but whatever guilt you associate with Tegan's treachery on Margaret is mine to bear. She was only following what I told her to do. Please believe me when I say that I have spent plenty of nights awake thinking of what my mistake cost the colonists; friend or foe. And I have every intention on making him pay as soon as we get him."

"What? You don't have him?" Geoff questioned almost immediately out of surprise as Amaury's eyes widened again. The last time he had saw Tegan he was fighting Elise, and from what he had heard she had almost killed him before Margaret herself intervened.

"We did, but… he escaped." Margaret replied, turning into her former friend's stare, already aware of what she would find. Although it was unsaid, he had entrusted her with capturing the mad man Tegan Trevelyn and seeing that he was brought to justice for his crimes; something that she clearly did not accomplish.

"Escaped? Are you kidding me Margaret? He should have been locked up so tight that even air couldn't find him. How could he have fucking escaped?!" Geoff questioned furiously as once more Dorian stepped in to defend his subordinate.

"As it turns out, Tegan held more power from our eye than we thought. While he was in a military prison in Dakar, some of his forces infiltrated it and broke him out, before…" The Counselor began to explain before stopping at the thought of another genocide orchestrated at the Cerberus' hands, bringing Margaret to finish his sentence for him. "He destroyed Fort Dakar with a nuclear weapon." She finished as Geoff's gasp echoed in the room amongst the surprised and somewhat scared looks of those around them including the Admiral, who for the most part had not seen the use of a nuke since the beginning of the One Year War.

"A nuclear weapon? How did he get a hold of that?" Krupp inquired as the clearly shaken Dorian shook his head. "We are not sure. It was likely something they acquired and held onto through the years, but inventory of Cerberus Division's equipment was never kept in any physical or digital location that we can find and most of their storage facilities in Cordova were locked and unable to be opened in time before the remaining Cerberus Division personnel on the base turned on the loyalist forces garrisoned there." He replied as Geoff remained with his hand held over his mouth in deep thought and creeping horror.

Dakar might not have been the capital of the Federation anymore, but following its destruction at the hands of the Zeon Remnants during the Third Neo-Zeon war it was rebuilt into a sprawling, heavily populated area. A detonation at the base wouldn't have destroyed the city per-say, but the damage caused would easily result in the same level of destruction seen on Pharos, if not worse.

"Where is Tegan now?" The Colonel finally asked after a moment or two, cutting through the silence in the room as Margaret sighed. "A few days after the attack on Dakar a message was broadcast across all channels of the Federal emergency broadcast system that alerted military personnel to attacks in the Earth's Sphere; all those who believe in the late Admiral Cousland's vision of a strong, powerful Federation were to assemble at Cordova to fight the corrupt leaders of the new regime. Immediately we launched a counter offensive, but with the few days it took to assemble the strike force necessary to assault the base, Tegan's men had dug themselves a pretty deep hole to crawl in." The woman replied as Geoff's view locked back to her in surprise.

"He repelled the attack?" He questioned, catching the Captain's stare for a moment before she nodded in confirmation. "Yes." She replied as once again Wright spoke. "It seems that many of Tegan's supporters are experienced soldiers, while the majority of the Federal Navy and ground defense are new recruits or men who had belonged for a while but who have never seen combat. They defeated our first attempt and mounted a fierce counterattack, capturing the city of Cordova itself in the process. That was about a month ago, and since then it has been a daily struggle just to even hold the ground we had."

"The only positive factor we can be thankful for in this whole thing is that he is cut off, unable to escape from Cordova or request more assistance from those who are sympathetic to his cause, and thanks to our media blackout in the area the general public generally believes it is nothing more than a small uprising of a local National Guard division in response to what occurred at Side 3, so his sphere of influence is stagnant." The Counselor added though none of the New Republic's leadership seemed to find a bright side in any of this. This man was putting up much more of a fight than anyone could have anticipated and it seemed as if the Federation was struggling to keep control of the situation.

"So what's your plan?" Geoff questioned with crossed arms in suspicion to the Counselor's intent in this matter, bringing Dorian to narrow his eyes on him. He knew Geoff could see through his ploy, leaving it pointless to lie.

"Currently we are posed to take back the city, but once we do that, I'm not sure how much further we will be able to push. The 2nd Defense Fleet is severely weakened and I'm afraid that utilizing any other resources would show even more weakness in the Earth's military, possibly allowing more like Tegan to come to power. I refuse to allow that to happen, which takes me back to why I am here." Counselor Wright replied, looking back towards the Admiral as began to walk towards him. Stopping an arms length away as he took a deep breath in an effort to shake free the words from his throat, he reached into his trench coat and pulled out a manilla envelope.

"Given the magnitude and the severity of this situation we find ourselves in, I have been authorized by the president of the Federation himself to present this with you." He announced, holding the envelope out to the Admiral who looked at it in hesitation. Despite the counselor's insistence that this was not a demand for surrender, Krupp knew that it could still very well be such a demand or something similar, and despite the Counselor's woeful story he still held no intention of surrendering their nation back to the Federalists who threatened their existence.

Clasping the envelope in his hand, Krupp pulled it closer and opened it at a calm pace regardless of his rising anxiety, though upon seeing its contents he froze; his eyes locked to the documents before him like glue.

"Well don't keep us waiting." General Ishim joked after a moment of silence to break up the tension, catching the Admiral's eyes for a moment before bringing him to clear his throat. "This… this is a peace treaty." He stated out loud, pausing to make sure he was reading it all correctly one more time before getting everyone's hopes up.

"A peace treaty calling for an immediate end to the armed conflict between the New Republic of Zeon and the Earth Federation, officiated and signed by the President himself." He replied, the news of what the emissary had brought lighting up every face in the room as the quiet whispers around them erupted into laughter and cheering. They all knew that the New Republic had taken a purely defensive stance in this war and would likely accept the offer without much opposition, leading to what would surely be a victory in their war for independence.

"A peace treaty? That's great!" Tome called out loudly as her smile grew, turning to the others happily who all shared the same expression. "The war's over!" Marcus exclaimed, giving Latty a big hug much to the blushing woman's surprise as he spun her around, while to their side an excited Carina placed her forehead to Amaury's with a wide smile.

"It's over, we've won." She whispered to her lover as his previously infuriated demeanor cooled and subsided, leaving only the happiness brought on by the realization that it was all over. They would be free to live their lives according to their plans; a dream come true, for both of them.

With as much preemptive celebration as there was around him, Geoff couldn't help but grin as well. Admiral Krupp hadn't even formally accepted the terms of the peace offer but it was clear to him what the general consensus on the situation was amongst his men and the others in the New Republic's command, seeming it nearly impossible that the Admiral would refuse the offer.

"Well Admiral, what is our official answer?" He questioned, noticing now that the Admiral's mood had not softened any from his gaze as he opened the folder; his mind lost in thought over the many possible stipulations or provisions this document could contain in its many pages. Sure, he wanted peace as much as the celebratory men and women around him, but he found it extremely hard to believe that the Federation would simply sign over the ownership of the colonies and their population, let alone allow themselves to lose a fight with a force such as the NRZ so easily.

"What are the conditions?" He questioned out loud, bringing silence to the chatter around him as he did so as the Counselor looked to him with the same lingering grin. "Conditions? In which manner?" He asked as the Admiral closed the document and looked to Margaret for any hint of treachery in her eyes, though in finding none he looked back to Dorian.

"Conditions. Stipulations. The fine print. Are we to be made unable to hold a military of reasonable defensive side as the Federation did to the original Republic of Zeon? What about a Federal garrison here on New Hagen? Is that part of this plan, Counselor?" Krupp inquired sternly as Wright remained steadfast, despite the barrage of condemning questions.

"There are no conditions, Premier. No garrison, no military or economic restrictions and certainly no trade sanctions. This is intended to be a mutual agreement to cease all aggression towards one another in an effort to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity between our two nations. You will free to do business as you like, build and manufacture defensive arms as you see fit and so on and so forth." Dorian replied, though in the back of his mind he knew there was in fact something that could be viewed as a condition in this whole matter.

"There is, however, a request; a trade in services, if you will." Dorian added before Admiral Krupp could speak again, forcing his eyes to narrow in the realization that he was correct to assume that this peace was not just a gift presented to their people in recompense for the crimes committed against them.

"As predicted. I knew that this offer was too good to simply be a sign of peace. The Federation has never worked like that, nor do I assume it ever shall." The Admiral remarked in annoyance. "Well, get on with it then. What has the President requested of us?" Krupp questioned the somewhat unpleasant Counselor, already in the process of preparing his rebuttal.

"As you are well aware the Federation has seen its better days. Even with the situation on Earth contained for the time being there is still more than I could express at risk. You and your men have proven to be effective not only in combat, but more specifically in resisting and repelling the Cerberus Division, specifically Tegan Trevelyn." Wright began, catching the eye of the room's occupants as he looked around at the pilots to his right. "In exchange for peace between our two worlds, the President has requested that we receive your help in bringing the madman Tegan Trevelyn and his Cerberus Division down, once and for all."

"We what?" Marcus blurted out, covering his mouth as Geoff and the Admiral peered at him through the corner of their eyes before looking back to the Counselor before them in an unpleasant manner. "You want us to become involved in your war?" General Ishim questioned to which the Counselor nodded.

"That is correct, General. To be entirely fair, this cataclysm of events was all sparked by your uprising at Side 3. If the Movement wouldn't have formed, none of this would have happened." He replied as Tome spoke up, flushed with emotion and unable to control herself any longer.

"And if you wouldn't have intervened we would have killed Tegan, none of _this_ would have happened either!" She argued as Admiral Krupp agreed with his young, passionate pilot. "She's right. If not for Captain Pierce's intervention, Lieutenant Himare and Lieutenant Dietrich would have dealt with him, preventing the Dakar event and ending the civil war on Earth before it even began. Now that it has come to this you want me to send my men to fight your war on Earth? Have you even thought about the negative impact having forces associated to Zeon would have on Tegan's influence? Those who still believe in the old ways but who remained loyal to the Federation based on principle alone will flock to his side in troughes. Then what?" Admiral Krupp questioned the Counselor.

"I can assure you that we understand your frustration. It has been an a rather unfortunate series of events that have led us to this resort, but I assure you that if it were not completely necessary for us to ask of this of you, we wouldn't be. And as far as your worries about repercussion of your presence, don't; the New Republic's involvement will be completely blackened from all records, both public and government. The only ones who will know you were there will be the President, Margaret and myself, as well as the remaining men of the 2nd Fleet who you will be assisting. Trust me when I say that at this point, they are more than willing to keep their mouths shut as long as it meant bringing them the support they need. The Federation will forever be indebted to you, though they will never know why." Dorian explained as Margaret looked to the pilots she once fought on the battlefield and then to their leader, nervously stretching her injured arm's fingers as she did so. She knew that without this assistance her men would eventually fail; not by lack of courage, but by attrition alone.

"He's right, Geoff. We need help, and this is the key to your future; the key to everything you and the New Republic want." She pleaded, staring her former best friend in the eyes, and no matter how hard he tried not to be dragged in to her black orbs he could not help but stare back.

Looking to the pilots to his left and then to the Admiral to his right, Geoff sighed. "Thoughts, Admiral?" He asked once again as Krupp closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calculating the risks and the rewards of undertaking such a task. If the enemy was as dangerous as they seemed it would prove to be quite a battle, and though he had not grown particularly close to any one of his pilots, he thought of each and every one of them as family.

Losing any of them in a war they didn't need to fight was something he didn't want, but at the same time it seemed as if this would be their best hope at peace as well as the survival of Hagen and the New Republic as a whole. A lingering war with the Federation could claim the lives of millions of New Republic citizens, and to send a few in place of the many seemed to be the most logical decision.

"It looks as if we might not have a choice." The admiral replied as he skimmed through those amongst him. "I don't want to leave Hagen undefended, however. How many will it take?" He questioned as Margaret looked once more to the pilots beside her. "If you are sending the same men and women who fought against the 2nd Fleet in defense of the colonies, then just them. Given their performance in that battle, they should be more than enough assistance in stomping out Tegan's reign." The Captain replied as the three heads of the New Republic's military looked to one another for a moment before Admiral Krupp turned his attention to the pilots she had specifically requested, each expressing a different emotion as they remained still.

"What do you all think? I know you understand the risks and the rewards of such an assignment just as I do, but ultimately it will be your lives on the line, not mine. Are you up to such a challenge?" He questioned to group who looked amongst each other until Marcus took a deep breath and once again elected himself leader to express the general consensus amongst them.

"If this is what needs to be done, then we will get it done Admiral." He replied, while behind him Carina bit her tongue to refrain from objecting, nervously spinning her engagement ring around in her finger. Moments ago they were told that the war had ended; that they were free and that there would be no more fighting. Now they were being instructed to return to battle once more, far from their home in a war that wasn't even theres.

"Amaury, I don't like this." She whispered, unnoticed amongst their leader's discussion as she gently tugged on her fiance's arm, bringing his brown eyes to look into hers. He too was unhappy in hearing that would need to return to battle, especially since it was not their fight to begin with; a fight they could had ended weeks ago if this Captain Pierce wouldn't have intervened, and even more so if they would have held better control over Tegan in the first place.

But with everything being offered to them, it seemed that the Admiral was right. Amaury understood that they could not hide forever and that their only hope would be peace with the Federation, regardless of how it was achieved. "What… what other choice do we have? They know where we are, if we refuse… I-I won't put you in danger if we can end this." He replied with a small frown and tight fist as she shook her head in contest. With how dangerous Tegan had become anything could happen and to her it wasn't worth the risk. They could all easily be killed! She couldn't sense the others feelings specifically due to the mix aurora around them, but surely they couldn't be completely onboard with this!

"No, there has to be another way. I-I'm sure the others don't want this, we…" She replied, looking to the other's reaction, which varied greatly. Latty seemed to agree with Marcus' acceptance of the task, Douglas seemed more annoyed than anything while Tome seemed to share the same concern she did. "W-we could do something… none of this will matter if we earn our freedom but you die in the process… I can't l-lose you, Amaury." She stuttered as tears formed in her eyes, bringing Amaury to squeeze her hand and shake his head as their eyes remained connected.

"Carina-" The boy began in an effort to comfort his love, but the Admiral's voice cut him off, hushing the crowd of people in the process. "Then it would appear we have a deal, though I truly wish there was some other way. You will receive our help in ending the civil unrest, and in return…" He spoke in a dictating manner as Counselor Wright stepped forward and extended his hand once again for him to shake, this time to officially seal their deal.

"The New Republic will have their independence, and the Earth; a new ally." The counselor added with a grin just as Krupp gripped his hand tightly and gave it a firm shake, instantly causing Carina's heart to sink into her stomach. Any chance of avoiding this conflict was now gone and it seemed their fate was sealed. They would return to the Earth's sphere once more, destined to fight on the planet's surface like so many Spacenoids before them. How many more of them were going to die? Would they ever get to return home to the land they had fought so hard for?

"Excellent Premier, excellent. I assure you that this mutual agreement will benefit us both in more ways than we can even predict." Dorian Wright stated out loud in a victorious boom as he looked around at his newest allies in his fight against Tegan while Admiral Krupp nodded. "Let us hope so. You are receiving not only my best pilots on this journey, but part of my family. These men and women have been with me since the very beginning of the Movement nearly a year ago, so I would urge that you hold their lives in your hands with the utmost care." Krupp warned as Dorian nodded.

"Believe me, we will not waste their talents or their lives. I give you my word." The counselor replied as over his shoulder his wounded-armed compatriot walked towards the group of pilots further and turned to Geoff. "How long until your team will be ready to depart?" She questioned as Geoff turned his attention to Carina. "Good question. Major Hughes?" He asked out loud as Carina's head popped up from its lowered stance; his question breaking her deep, sad thoughts.

"Hmm?" The girl asked, obviously oblivious to his question, forcing him to repeat himself. "Captain Pierce here wishes to know how long until we can set out. What is that status on the fleet?" He asked again as Carina thought about it for a moment, pushing aside her worry the best she could to formulate an appropriate but truthful answer, which came with a sigh a few moments later.

"I've been so busy with the work at the docks that I haven't been following the capital ship repairs very closely, to be honest. But from what I know both the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ are ready for deployment, however they are vital to the defense force at the moment given the current state of our mobile suit forces, which is abysmal to say the least. Even the suits we would use in this matter are in rough shape and given the lack of true dry dock facilities aboard either vessel, I am not entirely sure they will be repaired and reassembled by the time we arrive in the Earth's Sphere." Carina replied as Amaury stood idle by her side, watching Geoff stroke his chin stubble in thought.

"This is a problem. What about the _Samuel Raditz_? Would that be any better?" He inquired to her surprise, peaking Tome's interest to an a high as he did so. "The _Raditz_? I mean, since she's being reworked into a super carrier it does possess the ability to conduct wide scale repair and maintenance, and that would certainly allow us to better complete the repairs on the way back to the Earth's sphere, but it will take a few days to prepare the ship for such a long voyage. Even then she won't be fully armed, and without fully functional mobile suits we will be an easy target." Carina responded, catching Margaret's attention.

"It's quite the journey from here back to Earth, and in our jumper shuttle we will arrive well before you. We will make sure your carrier is escorted safe and sound through the Earth's Sphere by my own men. And don't worry, Tegan's forces will never reach space again. You have my word." She replied, looking to both Geoff and Carina respectfully as the girl sighed.

"Well, if that is the case then yes, the _Samuel Raditz_ will do." She replied as Geoff formed a small grin. He could tell by the worried look on her face that she was not thrilled with the idea of them having to fight Tegan once more, but he was grateful that she was willing to do what was necessary, even if she didn't agree. "We will set out onboard the _Raditz_ in four days then. Will that be an acceptable time constraint?" The colonel asked as Margaret nodded with a small huff. "It's not ideal, but it is acceptable. Beggars can't be choosers." She replied as Dorian clapped his hands in conclusion to the discussion.

"Excellent." He grinned as he turned back to Admiral Krupp. "I do believe that has concluded the main event. However, if you wouldn't mind, there is some more diplomatic business I wish to discuss with you in private; nothing to rash, just some some agreements on trade and immigration is all, if you are open to it." The counselor stated to which Krupp agreed with a nod.

"Of course, Counselor. The rest of you are dismissed. Thank you for coming out so late at night." Admiral Krupp decreed as the room began to empty out into the hallways of the New Republic's command building, including the pilots who shifted out as a group.

"I can't believe we are going back to the Earth's Sphere. We fought to be free of their grasp, and now we are walking right back into it." Marcus complained out loud once they were far enough from the office door to avoid the Counselor's ears. "You may be going back, but I've never been to Earth. So, to me it's like a vacation… even if we are going to have to kill people." Latty responded first in a somewhat optimistic manner as Marcus spun around towards her as they walked, grinning to himself.

"Well that is… one way to look at it." He replied with a laugh, watching as in the distance Geoff and Margaret also vacated the office and walked in the other direction, likely to discuss matters both official and personal in private. His vision then narrowed in on the others in their group who remained silent, including Douglas directly behind him.

"Whatcha think Doug; you think Tegan is really capable of putting up this much of a fight, or do you think they are over exaggerating things?" The man questioned as the scowling pirate looked to him, unpleased by the nickname assigned to him. "Don't call me that. I don't care if you are now dating my sister, I don't like that name." He replied as Marcus laughed and looked to Tome, Carina and Amaury next, huddled into a trio at the end of the slowly progressing line.

"Come on guys, don't look so glum! We will beat Tegan, and then this will all be over!" He laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood of his three oldest friends, though it didn't seem to work. "Yeah, but we shouldn't even have to do this. We could have killed him months ago… we should have just let Elise take him out." Tome countered as Carina nodded; Amaury looking at her with a frown. Of all of them she seemed to be the most upset by the news that they would be fighting once more, driving his need to try and ease her sadness.

"It will be okay Carina, I promise." He whispered as he leaned into her a bit, squeezing her had to reassure her, though her smile was more in response to his gesture than any kind of relief. "I hope so, but I just… I can't help but feel how messed up this whole thing is. Like Tome said, we shouldn't even have to fight him. This is their mistake, not ours… no more of us need to die because of Tegan." Carina replied with sadness in her eyes as she looked back down at the floor.

There was something else bothering her, though she was not entirely sure she bring it up based on how selfish it would sound, though a moment later it came from her lips regardless. "Do you remember when you said that I would be able to go back to Von Braun and finish college someday? It may seem silly, but part of me hoped that you were right. Not so much because of finishing school, but because I could have at least met with them and said my goodbyes. That is why I would have wanted to return to Earth, not this." She added against her better judgement with a sigh as Amaury's head tilted a bit to the side.

He remembered the moment he promised her that dream, sitting in the cafeteria of the Warsaw on their way back towards Side 3. Seeing her parents seemed to be the most important thing to her but he knew her education still remained a priority, and the thought of her give up either of those things was just as painful for him as it was for her, especially knowing how much work she had put into achieving her degree; the thought of which sparked an idea in his mind.

"Carina, wait." He said as he stopped in his tracks, prompting her to look to him in confusion. "What's wrong?" Carina asked as he looked into her eyes for a moment or two before turning back towards Krupp's office, hell bent on keeping his promise. "Babe? Where are we going?" She asked as he gently led her back towards the door, ignoring the glances from their friends as he did so. If there was ever the chance, that time was now.

Closing the door to the currently empty cafeteria to ensure their conversation was private Geoff looked to his old friend with a smile, regardless of their most recent encounter. "It's been a long time since we got to talk, you know that?" He questioned, placing both hands in his pockets as he walked towards Margaret who stood at the end of a cafeteria table, promptly stepping up onto the bench seat and sitting down on the table top. "Well, I mean, you know; without us shooting at each other." He added as the woman smirked.

"Yeah well, after you terminated your enlistment and disappeared without a trace, I didn't exactly see a need to keep in touch." She jested as the man laughed. "Same old Margaret, huh? I guess the power hasn't really gone to your head at all." Geoff responded, looking off at a humming coffee machine across the room, though to him something was different. Sure, she packed the same snarky tongue she always had, but it seemed as the recent events had cast a shadow on her usually confident demeanor.

"I guess in all honesty I owe you an apology, both for that and for losing my temper in our little duel. Even as adversaries it was inappropriate to lose my temper over past transgressions." The colonel stated in a calm voice as Margaret shook her head. "No, it's not entirely your fault. I shouldn't have said some of the things I did… even if they were true." Margaret replied as they both laughed.

"What happened to your arm? That's not from the beating we gave you, is it?" He question as her smile slowly faded, watching her own fingers struggle to move from beneath the medical brace holding her arm still in it's sling. "No, this was a gift from Tegan. He ambushed us in the tunnels under Dakar as we were trying to escape. Shot me twice." She replied as Geoff grimaced.

"Nothing too serious, I hope." The concerned soldier replied, to which Margaret shook her head. "It will heal, but for now I'm grounded; forced into a pure leadership role at least another month." The woman replied. "Ah well, enjoy your time off while you have it. You were always the smartest anyway, so leadership fits you." Geoff added with a small smile, bringing Margaret to do the same before looking away in the moment.

"So, how did you end up here _Colonel_ Walker? I never took you for the revolutionary type." She questioned as the man to her side huffed. "Well _Captain_ Pierce, just like the old days this was something Monty dragged me into." Geoff grinned, thinking back on the trio's many adventures during their time with the 2nd Fleet.

"After what happened on Dresden, Monty got a hold of me and asked if I had heard. I said, of course, yes, and then he asked me if I was willing to do something about it. At that time life had become rather… mundane, and I'm not going to lie, I was just as outraged as many others. Even if I didn't have any ties to Side 3, that event showed just how much the Federation continued to care about the lives of those unfortunate enough to be born in space... so, I said yes, and before I knew it, here I am." He replied with half a smile as removed his hands from his pockets and leaned forward on his legs, looking to the black haired woman he once knew so well, who looked back at him through several strands of loose hair. "So he's a part of this as well?" She questioned, though Geoff grew silent as his gaze averted back to the floor below his feet.

"He was." He replied after a second or two, remembering how Monty had betrayed them in the middle of their largest battle, leaving them to die at the Federation's hand. "When we attacked Side 3 he cut his losses and ran when we needed him the most, taking with him what we thought would be a weapon to help secure our freedom; a Gundam frame we purchased from the late pirate lord Kurin. We pulled through despite the desperate situation somehow… a feat I attribute to dedication of my crew." Geoff replied in a somber attitude, once more filled with anger at his long time friend.

Quite some time had passed since Monty's betrayal and even though he was supposed to set an example for his men, he still held as much shock and hatred towards that man as the rest of them.

Seeing his anguish, Margaret sighed and looked away, knowing well that it was Monty's norm to act like such, taking and using what and who he could before disappearing scot-free. But a Gundam frame? What could Monty possibly want with that, and better yet, where did he take it?

"Sounds like good old Monty alright." She huffed, recalling her own past encounters with their friend, all of which seemed to end in a similar sense. "He didn't run off with that blonde haired friend of yours, did he? Blondes were always his favorite, you know." She questioned though Geoff didn't understand at first, leading him to stare at her for a moment or two before he burst out in laughter.

"Elise? No, no. No, he didn't run off with Elise. She would have been too much for him to handle, even with his reputation." He replied with a lingering grin, recalling the complicated woman she spoke of from his memory. As was the recollection of Monty's betrayal, the memory of Elise's presence lingered in Geoff's head, and it would be a lie for him to say he didn't miss her. Catching on to his grin-layden smile Margaret formed a smirk of her own, remembering him well enough to know when he was thinking of something he found enjoyable.

"What happened to that girl anyway? I was expecting to hear her voice during the meeting right alongside that equally angry boy of yours." She question, as Geoff chuckled under his breath. "Her time was done here. She's gone home." He replied, though his answer wasn't enough to sate her curiosity. She knew there was more to that woman than met the eye, so there was no way she simply just went home to live a normal life. Between her skill with a mobile suit and her mentality towards her enemies she could tell the woman wasn't just a pilot off the street, no matter how similar she seemed to Amaury.

"And where is home?" She asked in follow up, though Geoff smirked once again. "Wouldn't you like to know." He replied, knowing better than to allow her true home's name to slip from his mouth as Margaret rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She responded, blowing off his reply as a more important question came to Geoff's mind. "Do you think that my crew will be enough to defeat Tegan?" He asked as Captain Pierce looked back to him and exhaled calmly in thought. "If they fight on Earth like they did that day in the colonies, I would say they certainly have a chance. We will see." Margaret replied as Geoff grinned and nodded his head.

"Yeah, we will see." He replied, knowing that even if Tegan's army was wounded and cut off they were still in for quite a fight. But at the same time he believed in his pilots and he knew that they understood the importance of this mission and how impactful its outcome would be on their future. They would once more need to give it everything they had in order to secure their existence once and for all.

Stepping out from behind his desk carrying a small glass of whiskey in each hand, Admiral Krupp continued to listen to the good counselor's many propositions, many of which he agreed with whole heartedly. They seemed to range from everything involving terms of non-hostility towards their nations to more civil matters such a policies on immigration to and from the New Republic as well as terms on which to allow companies from both nations to set up trade routes, but each was just as reasonable as the last.

Included in this was a program intended to allow those separated from their families in the Earth's Sphere a chance to reunite with their loved ones, even offering them a spot in the New Republic. "I agree that there must be some sort of regulation in regards to who all gains knowledge of our location, but at the same time I know that before long the existence of this place will become rather well known." Krupp replied to the counselor's last remarks as he approached Wright, who stood at the office window looking out at Dresden's nightlife all around the NRZ's headquarters.

Somehow he had assumed that the streets of the rather heavily populated colony would be much less lively given everything that had happened, though he should have known such events would cast shadow on a people that had been suffering similar tragedies over and over again for nearly fifty years.

"Still it is worth stemming the tide as long as possible, at least until you are able to raise the Republic's strength to the point where it can defend its interests against those who may want to take advantage to such an fledgling nation." Wright remarked as he accepted the glass from the Admiral's left hand and took a small sip.

"If Dresden alone is this impressive, I would sure love to see New Hagen someday. Being nearly twice the size of Heaven's End it will truly be a sight to see when she is finished." He added as Krupp agreed. "Yes she will be, that is for sure. But there is a lot of work left to go before she is even close to being ready for display as 'the most attractive place to live in the solar system'." He joked, bringing Dorian to laugh loud enough that they almost missed the sound of a knock at the office door across the room.

Turning his head in surprise, Krupp took another mouthful of his drink before motioning with his hand towards the door. "Come in." He authorized, allowing the door to open a moment later to reveal Amaury and Carina, the former leading the latter by the hand into the room cautiously as they shut the door.

"Ah yes, Major Hughes and Lieutenant Dietrich, or should I say Major and Lieutenant Dietrich, hmm?" He questioned, playing on their recent engagement as the already nervous Carina blushed. "N-No, not yet sir. We haven't even set a date yet." She replied as the Admiral laughed.

"Soon enough! I have not had time to wish you a proper congratulations, though in my defense, it took Geoff to mention it for me to find out. So, here you are. Congratulations, the both of you." He added, lifting his glass up in the air a bit as Counselor Wright did the same, taking notice to the way that each of them held the other's hand, as well as the boy's missing lower left leg.

"Thank you, sir." Both replied at once as Admiral Krupp nodded, taking another small drink from his glass as he walked towards his desk and set his glass down on the hardwood below. "The two of you are very welcome. Now, what can I do for you? It's rather late and I assumed you would be tired after working all day and being dragged down here for this meeting." He questioned as Carina nervously looked to Amaury, still unsure what exactly he planned to ask the admiral, prompting him to speak.

"I would like permission to speak to the Counselor, Sir. It's about the upcoming assignment to earth." The boy stated in a calm yet obviously intimidated voice, watching the Admiral raise his eyebrows in surprise. Amaury had never been one to speak up on his own accord leading him to assume this had somewhat of an important manner, or possibly that it was relevant to Carina in some way. Looking back to the counselor as he nodded, Krupp signaled with his hand for the boy to speak.

"Go ahead." He stated as Amaury took a deep breath and stepped forward away from Carina, leaving her with a subtle smile to reassure the confused girl that it would be alright. Stopping, Amaury looked to both of them men before him and stood up straight, presenting himself in as best a manner he could given his casual clothing and messy, post-shower hairdo.

"Like the others I am going to fight Tegan on Earth." He began as the counselor listened intently, his heart racing in his chest as Carina began to sense the nervousness building within him. What was he going to say that was causing him to be this worried? "I understand that this is for our people; for the freedom and autonomy of the New Republic so that we may be left to live in peace. But there… there is something else I must ask for." The boy continued, immediately bringing Admiral Krupp's eyes to narrow on him in animosity.

The chance of peace itself was quite the godsend and more than they could have asked for and although he had never done so before it seemed to the admiral that Amaury was taking advantage of the situation for his own personal game.

"Lieutenant Dietrich, I would advise you to stop." Krupp dictated in a stern tone, causing the woman behind him to visibly recoil in the process before reaching forward and grabbing his hand to bring him back away from their upset superior, but it didn't stop Krupp's scolding. "This chance at peace is a gift more precious than any of us could ever imagine, and to think you are attempting use it as leverage to gain what you want is both out of character for you and very upsetting. I-" The admiral continued before Dorian stepped in, walking towards the boy so that he once more stood beside the admiral.

"Hold on, Premier Krupp." Counselor Wright stated as he held his hand at waist height, looking from the admiral to the young pilot and his nervous fiance before him, once more standing hand in hand. Heeding Wright's words, Krupp stopped belittling his superior and looked to the counselor who smiled to the boy.

"I would like to see what he has to say, if that is alright." Dorian added and upon seeing his rather open acceptance to the boy's words, Krupp exhaled deeply. Maybe he had been a bit harsh to snap as he had, likely under the stress of everything that was currently on his plate.

"I apologize, Counselor Wright, as well as to you Amaury. But if I may counselor, I wish to inform Amaury that you are still a guest in this house who has brought us quite a gift, so it would be unwise to ask something of him that could be misconstrued as… greedy." The Admiral added as Amaury, who's heart now raced faster in his chest from his leader's scolding, nodded and subconsciously interlocked fingers with his lover as he turned back towards the Federal emissary.

"Now, go ahead Mr. Dietrich. What is it that you wish to ask?" Dorian questioned with a welcoming smile. He knew that this was the boy who not only had challenged Tegan over and over again but had also eliminated both Tegan's older brother Delacout as well as Admiral Cousland, the battles in which he did so likely responsible for the injuries his body had sustained. Shifting his eyes to Admiral Krupp to make sure that it was alright, he waited until he replied before once again speaking.

"M-My fiancee was once enrolled in Von Braun's Mechanical Engineering program and had nearly graduated before the event's of the Dresden Massacre. I may not have known her back then, but... I can tell from just how well I know her now that she poured every bit of her heart and soul into her work, only to put it all on hold to try and fight for change… to try and save those around her; people she didn't even know. When we left Side 3, she left behind a family in the Earth's sphere; her father, her mother and her three young brothers... and I know that it hurts her every day." Amaury said softly as he paused his request to look back to her, his words enveloping a sort of adornment for his lover as the two stared into one another's eyes, though it only further confused her as to what his motives were. Why was he saying all of this?

"She sacrificed seeing them again as well as her life's work to fight for change… and in exchange for doing this… for killing Tegan and stopping his uprising... I ask that Carina be allowed to return to Von Braun to finish college, and that she be able to see her family again. Even if it is just one last time." Amaury finally stated in an emotional conclusion as the eyes of the girl behind him grew wider by the moment, filling with tears until they rolled down her cheeks.

"Amaury…" She gasped in shock as he looked back over her shoulder with a small smile, his eyes expression the compassion in his words. This was what he wanted to ask the emissary? That she be allowed to return to finish college? Did her whining make him feel guilty, or was it that he intended to truly keep every promise he ever made to her?

"I… Amaury, I-I can't… how could I e-ever return?" She questioned in disbelief as Counselor Wright watched, the grin that had slowly formed over his own lips remaining clear as he took in what was clearly a deep seeded love between the two souls before him.

Even Admiral Krupp remained silent, his surprise equal to his shame in believing that Amaury could have ever been selfish. He should have known from the beginning that this had to be about Carina; Geoff had only told him a half dozen times just how much he cared about their chief engineer, so it really shouldn't have been a secret.

Waiting for Amaury's eyes to return to him, Dorian laughed once under his breath before placing a hand on his hip; the other placing his nearly untouched whiskey glass on the desk beside the admiral's.

"You could have asked for anything really, regardless of whether or not you believed you would get it, but yet you asked for this?" Dorian asked as he looked into Carina's overburdened eyes. Just as he had heard of the Green Demon's destructive power he had heard of a young engineer who was equally as talented at turning the relics in the NRZ's arsenal into fully functional mobile weapons that could rival their own, even though they were much newer models designed to run circles around the New Republic's. Intelligence like this was something of legend, and was quite the gift to allow to be squandered.

Locking eyes with the boy for a moment or two longer, Dorian nodded. "If that is what you want, then I will do what I can to get it for you." He stated much to the surprise of all three New Republic soldiers beside him.

Shocked, Amaury's eyes widened as Carina pulled into her fiance's arm until she stood right against him. "Really?" She asked as Wright's gaze shifted to her with a nod.

"Absolutely. I believe Amaury when he says you put your blood, sweat and tears into your studies, only to sacrifice everything you worked for to help others. A woman as dedicated, intelligent and compassionate as you deserves to have her feats recognized and her dream's come to fruition. If you can end this madness that is threatening to consume to Earth's Sphere, I will make sure Miss Hughes can both return to Von Braun to finish her schooling, _and_ see her family again." He replied as Carina's breath stammered once more, watching as Dorian raised his hand toward Amaury's to seal their deal, which Amaury accepted after giving it only a moment's thought.

"Thank you, counselor." Amaury said as he let go of Dorian's hand, though the man shook his head. "Don't thank me Amaury. You are doing far more for the Federation and myself than I am for you. This is the least I could do." He replied, looking to Carina again as her teary eyes remained locked to him, doing her best to hold back her son's of joy.

"N-No, I'm the one who must thank you. You… y-you don't understand just how much this means to me. Thank you." She replied before looking to Amaury, her doubts about the coming fight still lingering although it was no longer just the Republic he fought for. Smiling back to his fiance Amaury grinned to show everything was alright as Admiral Krupp cleared his throat to bring their attention back to him.

"I thank you as well, Counselor Wright. These two are some of my finest and brightest soldiers, both of which have been with us since the very beginning. With everything they've been through, they deserve to be happy." He stated as he reclaimed his whiskey glass from his desk and smiled at the couple. "Now, if you are done asking favors, I'm afraid I must dismiss you so that the Counselor and I can return to the long, drawn out and often dry talk of politics." Krupp added with a small laugh, bringing Wright to do the same as Amaury nodded. "No, that was all I had to ask. Again I thank you for your time Admiral, as well as you, Counselor." The boy stated as both he and Carina stood at attention, saluted the two and turned to leave the room once Krupp had returned the gesture.

As they walked across the room Carina looked up at Amaury, who remained unaware of her gaze as she fought back a nearly uncontrollable urge to express just how she felt about his actions; an urge that came to light as soon as the door into the empty hallway closed.

As soon as the latch locked closed Carina pushed Amaury against the opposite wall facing towards her, pinning him there in tight hug as she buried her head into his chest. "Carina?" He called softly as her muffled sobs seeped through his now wet shirt, making him question if what he had done was wrong.

But as she looked up at him with a smile on her face a moment later, he knew these were tears of joy. "Amaury… god, Amaury… I-I love you so much!" She exclaimed as she reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a flurry of kisses, expressing just how happy with his gesture she really was. He could have been several reprimanded for speaking so boldly in such a sensitive situation, just as he had during their meeting, but yet he risked punishment in order to keep his promise.

"Y-You didn't have to do that for me. Admiral Krupp… he was pissed, I thought for sure he was going to flip out." She added as she broke their kissing while her man, who now held her against him at her lower back, shook his head. "I know how much you want to see your family, and finish college. I want you to see them and finish, too. At least now the risk of fighting Tegan again is balanced by that reward." He replied as she frowned.

"It still won't mean anything if you die… I was willing to live without seeing my parents again, b-but I can't live without you. I love you, my Amaury." Carina replied, pressing their foreheads together. Just as he admitted when they were reunited after the Liberation, she too knew that she would never be able to live without him.

"You won't have to… I promise. I love you too, my Carina." Amaury replied as his left hand raised to gently wipe her tears away, bringing the blushing girl to smile as he did so. "You better promise. I need my husband." She joked with a sniffle as she once more met his eyes with her own before taking both hands in hers.

"Let's go home." She added in a soft tone, the look in her eyes revealing what she wanted more than anything at that moment as Amaury agreed and slowly followed behind, his heart racing in anticipation of what was to come; both at home as well as in the coming weeks.


	40. Chapter 40: Earthbound

As promised, the _Samuel Raditz_ was immediately scheduled for launch within four days of the meeting and the very next morning crews began to make arrangements for its maiden voyage to Earth; a hefty task that required the diversion of the majority of the fleet's maintenance teams in order to complete the assignment in the allowed time frame. Now a heavily modified _Ra Cailum_ warship without the lower cooling fins, it would bear no offensive armament on its journey as most were destroyed by Amaury during the liberation, but it could still defend itself within reason with the widely intact defensive turrets.

The ship had also received the same standardized grey paint job of the New Republic with matching flag, as well as a double red stripe that ran the full length of the ship from bow to stern, intended to show the ship as the NRZ's main command vessel and flagship. It would be an impressive vessel once it was finished, though even in its current state if brought awe to all who laid eyes upon it including Tome, who was so overwhelmed with the sight of Sam's name emblazoned on the bow just above the striping that she moved to tears.

Once the vessel was deemed fit for the journey and to serve as the fleet's command away from home on their first and hopefully last wartime mission to Earth, logistics services began to move in, stocking the ship to the brim with everything they would need to survive to, during and on their return from their mission.

The once empty shelves of the main galley bristled with food, both fresh and packed for long term storage, the water lines and reservoirs ran wild with clean water and the ship's main reactor was topped with enough coolant and the boosters propellant to carry it all too and from Earth. As this occurred flight teams worked day and night to move the mobile suits they would use for the assault into the ship's two conjoined hangers, taking great care to make sure that the suits that had been deconstructed for maintenance and repair were not separated from crucial parts.

As it stood the only functional suits the fleet possessed at the time of loading were Douglas' Zakum, Latty's Guntank, and Geoff's Stark Jegan while the Kalani, the Jaeger, Marcus' Zakum and the Rick Dom Geoff had used during the Liberation of Side 3, which aside from being moved around to make way for other suits had sat in a state of disrepair since that day, all remained nearly inoperable or at the very least unfit to fight.

These suits were what concerned Carina and her engineers the most, leading plans to be made to cannibalize one of the Zakum's to repair the two others with the Kalani being the most likely candidate for this was given deemed it's severe damage and Tome's removal from active service.

Despite this fact, Douglas volunteered to have his machine taken apart and redistributed into the two others, stating that he was quite use to the Dom frame's performance under the designation Dubisar, which Kurin had utilized frequently prior to his acquisition of the three Kampfer Blitzs. Citing it's disrepair Carina had originally rejected Douglas' request, but with the arrival of the Heaven's End convoy in the early morning hours of the third day, she relented and allowed him to be assigned Dom, though just like the others it would need to be repaired and retrofitted with parts from their first major arms supply.

Arriving just in time to be beneficial in their war efforts, the Heaven's End Trading Company freighter _Adornment_ brought with it more than just parts for Douglas' mobile suit. Within its massive walls were container after container of emergency food reserves to help the population should shortages arrive, a hefty supplement of water, propellant, fuel and various raw materials needed for New Hagen's construction.

Moving away from civil matters, the _Adornment_ also brought with it weapons crafted on Heaven's End as well as the ammunition and ordnance to operate them, including what General Ishim was happiest to see for his national guard; three Ratnik units on lease from Heaven's End until the superior mobile suits promised by Mars arrive and are placed into active service. While Geoff and his pilots are on their assignment General Ishim's guardsmen would be in complete control of the New Republic defense, both in space and within the colonies as well as New Hagen, and with the limited resources currently available at their disposal three loaner suits seemed like a godsend.

They had agreed to the terms and conditions of Counselor Wright's peace treaty in good faith that everything would work out as planned, but as nice and genuine as the emissary seemed, Admiral Krupp was not entirely convinced his promise of peace would hold up, leading him to instruct Ishim to have his men prepared to deploy at a moment's notice for the duration of the main fleet's voyage. They wouldn't be able to hold back the Federal Navy for long, but given enough warning they could certainly slow their approach, even if it turned into a suicide mission to allow as much time as possible for the New Republic to evacuate.

With the end of the third day the crew of the _Raditz_ was called forth to the ship and instructed to bring everything they would need for their deployment. The ship was prepared ahead of schedule and given the severity of the situation on Earth and the gravity of the prize they fought for, both Admiral Krupp and Colonel Walker believed it would be best to set out early, though expecting this both Carina and Amaury had packed their things earlier that morning, as had Tome who had been staying with them the past few nights so that they may help her should she need it.

Waiting for Tome to dress following her last shower in a normal sized bathroom, Carina and Amaury sat on the couch, the latter holding the former as she laid into his chest. "Is there anything we are leaving behind that you could think of? I don't want to hear that you forgot your toothbrush." Carina questioned playfully as she stared at the shine of her engagement ring, bringing Amaury to laugh and gently run his fingers through her long black hair.

"No, we've got them. Besides, I'm sure the commissary on the ship would have some if we didn't." The boy joked in reply, watching his lover laugh before trailing it off into a yawn. It had been a long few days preparing for this trip and both of them were exhausted, so in honesty setting out on the journey at night didn't seem so bad. Once they checked in and got settled in their bunk room, they would more than likely be free to sleep, so long as nothing unexpected came up.

"Yeah, that's true. Or you could just not forget it in the first place." She hummed, reaching up and poking his nose with a giggle before cupping his cheek in her hand, trying to ignore the nervousness that she felt inside herself.

She had spent the last few days working lost in thought, pondering over and over again what the outcome of this all would be. If they were successful they would have it all, but if they failed, then what would they be left with? Would they strip the Republic of its autonomy once again, just like they had years prior? Would everyone who set out on this journey return and if not, would Amaury be one of them? She meant what she said that day, she couldn't survive without him. Would she be forced to bear that burden?

"I really hope this all works out." She followed, her frown evident as the boy looked down to his future wife. "It will. Before you know it we will be free, you'll have your doctorate and you'll be chasing your brothers around a field once more." Amaury replied with a kiss to her forehead, running his hands through her and across her neck, bringing goosebumps to her skin before she took his hand in hers.

"I hope so, really I do." She giggled, leaning up to press her lips against his over and over. His attempts at keeping her calm hadn't gone unnoticed and they had earned their place amongst the other million reasons she loved this man. It seemed like the only time she wasn't confused by worry over the past week was when they were able to share these moments of love with one another, bringing her mind to focus on their passion instead. Nothing else mattered in these moments, not even if anyone was watching, which Tome had been for at least a few seconds before a playful sound of disgust broke the two up.

"You guys aren't about to get it on, are you?" Tome questioned as Carina sat up from Amaury's lap, her face matching her lover's in dark red tinge. "No, no. I'm sorry." She giggled nervously, hiding her face with one hand as the other sought Amaury's to express her embarrassed yet satisfied emotions.

"Are you sure? I mean I can wait outside, but just be careful. Because this… is not fun." She replied, pointing to her stomach in an overly dramatic fashion as Carina form a small frown on her rose-colored face.

"Oh, Tome!" Carina pouted with a small smile, knowing she was struggling to fully adjust to life while pregnant. The past few days she could feel the burden on Tome's mind but she hadn't said anything about it until now. "It will be okay, you're nearly half way through!" She replied, bringing Tome to huff as she walked towards them and plopped on the couch next to her friends.

"I can't even bend over right to put my shoes on anymore! Everything's a challenge and it's only going to get worse!" She continued to complain, bringing Carina to reach out and place a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard right now, but just think about how happy you'll be when your two little angels are in your arms. " Carina responded in an attempt to comfort their friend as Amaury agreed.

"She's right. You'll be so excited that you won't even remember how hard these months have been." The boy added as Tome looked to the two of them and sighed, nodding in agreement as she did so. "It's just hard, especially knowing that I won't be able help you guys in this fight. Someday you'll understand." She replied before looking back at the two with a big grin.

"Maybe even soon!" Tome exclaimed, forcing the cheeks of the two lovers to turn dark red as they looked at one another. "S-Soon?" Carina questioned out loud nervously as she bit her lip, looking into Amaury's eyes for some kind of answer. It was certainly in their plan to have children once they were married, but with her newly renewed prospect of returning to Von Braun it seemed like right now wasn't the right time.

"I think it might be a while still Tome." Carina admitted somewhat cautiously, not wanting to seem outwardly objective on the topic incase Amaury felt otherwise, though with his nod she knew he was alright with this.

"Carina's got to finish school first, and then when the time is right… yes. But not yet." He reassured with a smile as he continued to look into Carina's green orbs, taking her hand lovingly as she returned the gesture, though Tome huffed in response.

"But who are my babies going to play with?! I don't know anyone else who has children, and I don't want to make new friends!" She responded with crossed arms and a pout across her face. With how close they had all become it seemed hard to fathom going out and making new friends, especially people who hadn't been through the same as them.

"Tome, stop!" Amaury laughed as Carina did the same. "I'm sure they will still play together Tome. A few years age difference is nothing, especially with how close our big family will be. Plus, we will all be playing with your babies, so they won't ever be lonely!" Carina replied as Tome one more smiled and sighed, satisfied with that answer for now.

"Fine, but I'll hold you to that Aunt Carina and Uncle Amaury!" She joked in reply as they all laughed once more before Carina stood to her feet and stretched with another yawn. "We better head to the docks. I mean, we will be early, but I think Geoff would appreciate us setting an example for the others." She added as the others agreed and stood up as well.

"Yeah, you are probably right." Tome said, bending over to pick up her bag before Amaury stepped forward, picked it up and slung it over his other shoulder. Following her bag up onto the boy's shoulder, Tome cocked her head to the side. "Dude, I can carry it. I was just taking my time picking it up." She contests as Amaury shook his head.

"You are supposed to be on light duty. I hate to break it to you, but nothing about this bag says light duty. What the hell is in here, your whole wardrobe?" Amaury replied as Tome laughed and his his shoulder before immediately turning to walk towards the door. "Hey, you wanted to be the gentlemen! And yes, those are my essentials! Thank youuuu!" She hummed on her way out into hallway before he could reply, leaving him speechless as he laughed under his breath.

"Well then." He said out loud as Carina grinned and mouthed a 'thank you', following him into the hallway and turning to lock their door. They then continued on their way from the apartment, down to the street and into the car, setting out on their journey to the docks where their real voyage would begin.

On the way to the docks the three couldn't help but talk about their expectations from the trip as well as what they thought they would find once there. Just like Latty, Amaury had never been to Earth, and while he wasn't looking forward to it as if it was some kind of vacation, part of him was a bit excited to see the place from which all humanity came.

"So I've done my research, and it seems that Cordova is a city in Alaska and part of the former United States. It's near the ocean, and following the One Year War was constructed into a decent sized city. My question is this; I know it's cold in Alaska, but _how_ cold is it? The few places on Earth I've been too were rather warm and typically only cooled off at night once the sun went down." Tome questioned out loud from the back seat as she watched the passing cars on the other side of the road, bringing Carina to shrug.

"I'm not sure, either. I've only been to Earth a few times as well and each time it was to visit my family in Australia. From what I've heard it's pretty cold though, with cloudy skies and snow nearly all year round. Where did you go on Earth?" Carina questioned back as Tome stuck out her tongue in disgust. She didn't like the cold, and given the attire she had packed doubted she would have a warm enough jacked to stay comfortable with only a single layer of clothing.

"Nowhere it snowed, that's for sure. Mostly Hawaii, Japan, the Dubai islands; anywhere my dad had business really. If it was a place that was known to be a tourist location, sometimes me and my mother would tag along. It was fun." The pregnant girl stated as Amaury's head tilted a bit.

"Snow?" He asked, knowing of its existence but having never seen it before besides in pictures. He had often wondered what snow felt like, since some compared it to ice but much lighter, especially since those same people said you could catch it on your tongue as it fell from the sky.

Surprised by his question Carina looked to him for a moment or two before returning to her concentration on the road. She hadn't really thought about it before, but since it didn't snow inside of the colonies she should have known he had never witnessed snowfall, unlike the rain that sometimes occurs when too much humidity built up inside of a colony.

"Mhmm, snow. If we are going to Alaska, you will get to see it for sure." Carina hummed in response with a smile. She herself had only ever seen snow once before, when she was young. A storm had forced their shuttle to land at another spaceport along the coast, and while driving through one of the more elevated sections of Australia on her way to her grandparents farm the found themselves in the heart of it all.

She could still remember her father's cursing and her mother's worry as they navigated through the somewhat rare occurrence for the continent, bringing her to laugh silently to herself. Seeing her small grin Amaury did the same and prepared to speak, although Tome spoke over him.

"Hey, what's that?" She questioned out loud, pointing between the two at a large electronic billboard on which Admiral Krupp was delivering some sort of speech. They were unaware of any kind of scheduled conference, but judging by the amount of people who stopped on the street and looked up, it seemed important.

"Hold on." Carina replied as they came to a stoplight at an intersection, buying them time to listen in as they rolled their windows down. Luckily the message was being repeated by the Republic's media outlet displaying it and they had caught the very beginning of the loop. The broadcast was rather official, taking place in the main press briefing room of the NRZ's command facility, with both Admiral Krupp and General Ishim by his side dressed in proper Class A uniform to project and convey the utmost importance.

"My fellow citizens of the New Republic of Zeon," Krupp began from behind a brand new wooden podium that had only recently been constructed and delivered to the headquarters by a local carpenter, displaying the NRZ's three stars across the front in a bold gold inlay.

"In the last few days an opportunity has presented itself to our fledgling Republic that will keep us free and safe for decades to come; an opportunity we can not ignore. With the recent events that have befallen our nation, it had come to my attention, as it has to all of yours, that we can not continue to hide in the darkness of space with hands over our eyes, hoping that the Federation will never find us. We made that mistake once- no, I made that mistake once… and the people of Pharos paid dearly for it." The admiral confessed with a somber look, bringing all three of the onlookers to frown as they watched their leader take a deep breath and collect his thoughts.

At this point the light had turned green, but practically none of the cars at the intersection moved; each driver fixated up at the screen as it continued to broadcast the premier's message.

"And that is why we have decided to take this risk, just as we have taken risks before, to end this war without any more death or loss of life. It is with a bitter taste that I must admit that this opportunity may never be known to the public eye, but I assure you that it will happen far from here and with minimal risk to anyone besides though who, as we speak, prepare to depart Dresden on this rather dangerous assignment. These men and women who fought for our freedom at Side 3, and for our lives on the way to our promised land, go forth once again in the name of not only the New Republic, but in the name of ever single man, woman and child within her borders. They are the hope upon which our future is built, and it is on their shoulders that our fate will rest." Krupp stated in his next bit of dialogue, pausing once more as Carina, Amaury and Tome's heart raced, each one feeling the weight in the Admiral's words.

He was right, and it was very possible that the fate of their world was in their hands. If they failed their fate would never be certain, and they would have to learn to live with constantly looking over their backs.

"Wow. No pressure, right old man?" Tome asked out loud with a huff as she sunk into her seat, catching Carina's eye for a moment before Krupp's preparation to speak again caught her attention. "Wait, he's speaking again." She said, watching as Krupp took another deep breath and looked back to the camera from his notes on the podium below.

"It is on that note that I ask something of each and every one of you. If you see these men and women as they make their way to the docks, be sure to thank them. They would be glad to know just how much you appreciate what they are doing for you, and your inspiration will only further their resolve to set us free. And in their absence let us continue to work hard on our new home, so that upon their return they will understand just what it is they risk so much for every single day. New Hagen rises further from the ashes of our past every day. Keep rising." Krupp finally finished as the transmission cut to the two news anchors talking about the speech once more and rapidly the traffic in the main street resumed, almost causing an accident as it did so, bringing even the well mannered Carina to curse out loud as they too continued on their path.

"Well, I didn't expect that." Carina said out loud as she took a deep breath to calm herself down, looking over to the two others in the car, each of which seemed to be as caught off guard as the other.

"Neither did I. I mean, I get that he's being transparent about the Republic's business, but now what if things don't go as planned? The situation we are walking into is sketchy as hell. What if we don't kill Tegan and the Federation doesn't formalize the peace treaty? Then what?" Tome questioned out loud as Amaury's eyes shifted to her from the side, then to Carina.

"Everything he is promising will come true. We will kill Tegan and end this… even if I have to kill him with my bare hands." The boy stated calmly, though both of them could tell he was very much serious in his intentions. With a sad expression Carina looked back to the road. "I hope it doesn't come to that." She replied as she bit her lip. The less involved Amaury had to become in this battle the better, especially since she knew what the war had already done to him. How much more horror would they have to endure before all of this ended?

Feeling her worry even without a the same senses Carina had, Amaury reached out and took her free hand, bringing her attention back to him. "I love you." He mouthed; a gesture that she could not ignore. "I love you too." Carina replied in silence with a mall grin across her lips, watching as they drove by the former site of the Movement's headquarters and forcing her to look out at the docks in the distance. They were almost there.

Pulling into now heavily congested dock parking lots Carina was surprised to find so many vehicles, all of which were more than likely their crew. "I guess we weren't really early after all." She joked after finally finding an open spot to park their vehicle, looking out at the groups of soldiers walking together towards the entrance ways.

"Eh, I'm sure Geoff won't mind too much. I'm sure he's got plenty of other things on his mind." Tome replied while swinging her car door open, nearly striking the door of the adjacent vehicle before Amaury's hand caught it. "Watch!" He joked with a small smile as Tome laughed and stuck her tongue out playfully, allowing Amaury once more to pick up both his bag as well as his own from the trunk.

Coming around the back of the vehicle just as Amaury shut the trunk's hatch, Carina smiled at the two with a nervous breath. "Shall we?" She questioned as the three began to walk through the crowded lot on the same path as the others before them until they came to a stop beside them in a large area outside of the dock the _Samuel Raditz_ was docked in.

"Dock 14-D." Tome stated out loud as she looked up at the large white letters painted over top of the entrance way; the same entrance way they had entered and departed through on the way to Side 5. "Do you think they did that intentionally?" She asked out loud as Carina grinned. "I'm sure they did." The girl replied with a small laugh.

It seemed as if only yesterday they stood at this same spot as they prepared to set out for Operation Duality, when in reality it had been nearly ten months ago. In the distance they could see the crowd of their fellow crewman gathering in a large huddle and as they neared they could see that at the center stood both Geoff and Dr. Emerson, reliving some worry on Carina's shoulders. "There he is. Kind of the big shot now, if you ask me." Tome joked out loud as both Carina and Amaury laughed, just as the colonel took notice to their arrival.

With a grin, Geoff motioned for his last few straggling crewmembers to fall in with the others and stood up on a conveniently placed box, just as Monty had done on the morning of their departure. "Welcome, everyone." He stated as he looked around at his men and women, numbering nearly three hundred; over twice the side of the original crew they set out with but only a small fraction of the New Republic's current standing military.

"Sure seems a lot more cramped around here, that's for sure. Good thing we have a bigger boat now, huh?" He questioned with a small chuckle as those in the crowd laughed with him, well aware of just how far they had come. Waiting a moment for the laughter to stop, Geoff pointed behind him at the letters painted above their heads.

"The last time we departed through this gate we were but a few men and women with nothing in our hands beside a wild hope and an ambitious dream. If we would have failed, it would have all been over. There would have been nothing for us anywhere in the galaxy; nowhere to run or hide. But we didn't fail. We made it through, fought for was right and we are now setting out on the next phase of our journey, backed by the millions we helped break away from the Federation's grasp. Last time was the beginning of it all, and now this will be the ending of it all. One final flight, one final fight and one final victory!" Geoff exclaimed as the other joined in, cheering loudly in the dusk air as Geoff motioned for them to calm down once more a second later.

"With that, I am proud to name each and every member of this crew as members of Task Force Oracle; the first special operations division of the New Republic's Joint Defense Fleet." He announced to applause once more, bringing Carina to look to the others.

"Task Force Oracle?" She asked, her answer coming from Marcus as he, Latty and Douglas approached through the crowd towards them. "Yeah, because we've got one hell of a message from the gods to deliver to Tegan." He laughed, roughly patting Amaury's back as the boy grinned, happy to see his friend.

"That's right." Amaury replied as he looked to Latty, who retained a somewhat amused demeanor about her, and then to Douglas; their eyes connecting together in the setting sun. Almost every interaction they had exchanged ended in some sort of conflict with only a few rare occurrences between, so it seemed almost likely that he would have something abrasive to say to the boy if anything at all.

Bracing himself for whatever was about to come his way, Amaury was surprised when the man's stern expression lightened ever so slightly and allowed a small smirk to form. "Just so you know, I'll be the one who delivers that message. Don't get in my way." The former pirate cautioned, peaking Amaury's interest as he formed a cocky grin of his own.

He could tell that while Douglas was very much serious in his decree, he seemed to offer the tidbit in a sort of competitive, if not friendly manner. "Not if I beat you to him." The boy replied as Geoff clapped his hands together loudly to draw all attention to himself and then swung both hands towards the entrance way. "Alright everyone, let's move! You all know your bunking assignments; get your stuff moved in and secured, we are leaving in ten minutes!" He instructed, and in keeping with the flow of crewman, the group acknowledged.

"We better have a room with a view!" Tome joked as the three made their way through the crowded corridors and bulkheads of the _Raditz_ , looking for the room that the Naval Administration had assigned to them as around them they could feel the ship break free of it's magnetic locks and set out onto its journey.

Originally designed to hold significantly more crew than what was being brought with them, the former Federal battleship held many open cabins, allowing them to request certain amenities not typically allowed aboard a naval vessel. This included their assignment to the same cabin as well as Tome's request for a window.

Marcus had also been assigned to bunk with them but given his newfound intimacy with Latty, which he had yet to openly admit to, they assumed he wouldn't be spending much time there, if any. Amaury on the other hand was less concerned with their room and more focused on the ship they now stood inside of.

The last time he saw the _Raditz_ was when it was being used to evacuate Pharos, but didn't much pay attention to it at the moment, leaving his most prolific memories of the ship to be when he was attacking it during the Liberation of Side 3; memories that lingered in his mind and played with his emotions enough to allow Carina to notice his mood.

"You understand that this isn't a cruise, right?" Carina joked as she took Amaury's hand to calm him, which despite having to do quite often she didn't mind. She knew that by becoming his she would be responsible for his well being, physically and emotionally, and that was a burden she was willing to bear.

"Pssh, so? That doesn't mean I want to be stuck in a broom closet for the whole journey!" Tome replied in a huff as they came to the last room at the end of the long hallway, its numbers matching the ones the were displayed on the piece of paper in front of them.

"Here it is, Cabin 301." The girl added as she looked at the others for a moment before turning the handle to door and opening it wide, exposing the rather large room inside. Almost immediately it was clear that this was some sort of officer's cabin, complete with four adjacent but rather large beds, two on each side of the room, an area for all of their personal belongings and at the far end a common living area, complete with the view that Tome had requested.

"Oh, wow…" Carina muttered under her breath as Tome ran through the door frame and spun around, a big grin across her face at the eccentric accommodations before them. "Look at this! Look at this! This is soooo much better than the tiny little cots we had onboard the _Warsaw_ and _Bastille_!" She exclaimed playfully as she ran to the window to look out into space, her two friends moving into the main living area as she did so.

"It's definitely bigger." Amaury admitted out loud, setting the bags on his back down onto the nearest couch and looked around for himself. It wasn't as cozy or homely as their apartment, but if they had to be away from home this would surely do just fine.

Across the room Carina walked into their shared bathroom, noting that this particular officer's cabin even featured a shared bathroom and a small shower; an odd sight for a naval vessel, but one that she attributed to the somewhat ornate lifestyle lived by the former owner of the ship. "At least we can shower and use the bathroom in peace." She grinned as she returned from the room and looked to an excited Tome, who rushed to see for herself.

"Really?! Sweeeet!" She cheered loudly, rushing past Carina to see for herself as the girl laughed and turned her attention to Amaury, who now stood at the window Tome had previously looked through, sharing a renewed sense of wonder that she could sense about him.

Moving over to her future husband in the low gravity, she wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head against his, bringing him to divert his eyes to her with a loving smile for a moment before returning them out into space. Since their past departure into space Amaury had grown quite use to seeing both the stars as well as the colonies he once called home, but the sight of their weightless existence had yet to bore him, as did the sight of the massive rock they now called home in the distance.

"It's really beautiful, isn't it?" Carina questioned softly as Amaury agreed with a nod, placing both of his hands on hers as he did so. "Yeah, it is. But nowhere as beautiful as you." He replied with a small blush, bringing her to do the same as she nudged him gently and kissed his cheek. "Stop it babe." She whined lovingly, contently taking a deep breath as the _Raditz_ turned away from the colonies and New Hagen and prepared to head off at full steam towards Earth.

"Besides, with the way you are looking out at the stars, you are the one who is cute." She joked as Amaury laughed. "What do you mean?" The boy questioned in reply, curious what she meant, though her light giggle only further confused him. "Oh, nothing. It's just… you have the same look in your eyes as you did on that night, when we left Dresden." Carina replied as the memory of his adventure of floating above the _Tortuga_ came back to her, forcing her to smile.

"You were so happy… so free, floating above the ship. I've never seen something so… innocent. And honestly, I… I kind of knew in that moment there was something special about you. Well, more than I knew already, that is. Not everyone would willingly get into a bar fight with Federal soldiers for someone they barely knew." She responded with a blushing grin as Amaury did the same, unable to stop the smile that took over his lips.

"I a-always knew there was something special about you." He hummed back before the two kissed and were immediately treated to a disgusted expression from behind them. "Eck! Can't you wait until I go to sleep?! Am I going to regret bunking with you two?" Tome exclaimed, bringing both lovers to laugh and press their foreheads together. "Maybe."

"Echo 3-1 to City Command, be advised; enemy forces have moved further north than originally anticipated as is advancing on Delta Actual's location. Last count; three Jegan-Ds and a platoon of Type-61 tanks supported by infantry and AT-Teams. Echo 3-1 is moving to engage, over!" A garbled radio transmission frantically called across the control tower of Cordova Base, catching the attention of the command staff present, including Tegan, who had been present to monitor the developing situation testing the resilience of his men.

This was the third straight day of what would likely come to be known as the Battle of Cordova City, and while they were able to keep the Federation at bay for fifty six hours and counting, it seemed as if their forces were finally starting to wear down. "Answer that call over the command post line and tell them to hurry. Delta platoon is their only close-range fire support battery and if they are destroyed they will be up shit's creek without artillery." Tegan commanded out across the room, pointing to the radio operator who was receiving the transmissions with his newly attached prothstetic arm, which he still had yet to fully come to terms with.

"Yes sir, right away. Echo 3-1 this is Cordova Base, priority; you are cleared to proceed to Delta Actual and reinforce that position. How copy?" The communications operator replied, making sure to broadcast in place of the local command post. "Cordova Base, I copy you loud and clear! Moving to assist Delta Actual!" The voice replied amidst heavy gunfire in the background, leaving Tegan to return to the men he had been talking to before the transmission interrupted. As much as these interruptions impeded his current task, he insisted on being present in the tower during the operation, allowing him to step in and managed any critical issue almost instantly.

Amongst the multiple radio channels all speaking at once it was difficult to single out every situation, but he had grown keen on picking up the most critical of terms, allowing him to direct his focus where it needed to be.

"Where was I?" He questioned as he pulled his left arm close to his body and ran his fingers across the cold, unfeeling metal that now took place of his human flesh. "You were going over the battle plan, sir." One of his field officers corrected as their leader nodded.

"Right, right. As you can tell, I have quite a bit on my mind." Tegan admitted, pointing down to a map of Cordova on the table in front of him. "Today's push is the strongest that the Federation has mustered so far, leaving me with several assumptions. One, this display of force shows just how desperate they have come, allowing them to resort to such brutish tactics as slamming headlong into our forces. I believe that if we can outlast this grand push of theirs, we stand a good chance of once more locking down Cordova, and possibly even bringing their offensive capabilities to a standstill. The Second Fleet has to be running out of equipment by now, and judging by the lack of any other division symbol out there in the wreckage, I would say they have yet to request assistance from any other force, save for the Oceanic Navy harassing our supply vessels." Tegan stated as another officer spoke up.

"That is well and good sir, but on that note, our own supply is not holding up all that well. We have only been able to partially replenish our supply from resources brought in from the battlefield, and sooner or later we are bound to run dry of ammunition, food, fuel and medical supplies. Have we heard anything from any other branch commanders? Surely there has to be someone else out there to answer our cause." The officer asked, catching Tegan's before the man sighed and pointed to a map of Earth laying atop the Cordova city grid.

"There is a commander located in southeast Asia who has sworn allegiance to our cause in secret, but at last we spoke before the communications blackout he was adamant that he would be unable to reach us before his ships were intercepted by the Federal Navy. Commander Kietsu Dogor. If we could break free of the blockade we could clear him a path, or even go get the supplies ourselves, but the problem lies below the surface. There are far more submarines lurking out there under the waves than there are destroyers and cruisers sailing above them." A military advisor responded informatively, bringing Tegan to out the windows of the tower for a second at their own naval vessels, all of which were confined to the safety of the harbor to avoid almost certain destruction.

"Replenishment of our supplies and the influx of fresh troops and machinery to this base is essential to the survival of our cause, I don't need to stress that fact to all of you, as you are well aware." He stated out loud as another officer spoke up. "What is that status of the underwater operation, sir? We know a mobile suit was dispatched several times to help clear out the submarines… has that unit reported any success back?" He asked, just as from the harbor a mobile suit emerged; a Zeon relic from the One Year War call a Hygogg, to be exact.

With a grin of amusement, Tegan stood up and took a deep breath, pointing out the window at the approaching mobile suit, just as it came to the tower and looked into the windows with it's monoeye. "Why don't you ask him yourself." He replied, watching as the suit moved on past the tower to a designated shutdown area as those in the tower watched on as well.

Due to report back to command immediately following his return, it wasn't more than ten minutes before the lone pilot made his way into the command tower, bringing Tegan to grin. "Lieutenant Winter. Glad to see you made it back in one piece." The Cerberus announced as the two guards at the door saluted the pilot; a young man likely in his mid twenties with jet back, short and unruly hair.

Seeing his commander as he spoke, the lieutenant immediately saluted Tegan and his officers and waited for Tegan to do the same in return before stepping further forward into the circle of men surrounding the table in front of him.

"Well Corey, how did it go?" Tegan questioned out loud as the young man took his place amongst his comrades. "Three more, sir." The young pilot replies as Tegan nods. "That makes seven over the last two days, correct?" Their commander questions to verify his math, to which the pilot confirms.

"Yes sir, seven. I would have had two more, but I was intercepted by three Aqua GM's and two additional submarines, forcing me to retreat. I am sorry." Corey replied, though Tegan held his prosthetic hand up to contest his apology.

"Don't be sorry. Each Federal machine we bring down is a victory for us, sure, but if it cost us a pilot, it wouldn't matter. You've done a fine job, as has every other soldier in the Cerberus Confederation. It is because of men like you that we stand a chance at defeating these corrupt dogs. Without you, we would have lose before we even began." Tegan dicated in an attempt to reassure his that they were still capable of victory, though in a sense of horrible timing an urgent transmission was broadcast across the radio channel reserved for communication between them and the field command post at the heart of the city, forcing the radio operator once more to interrupt Tegan's meeting.

"Sir, I've got another message from the battlefield. It's from the command post itself this time." The operator called out as the Cerberus sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, go ahead. What is the situation?" He questioned as the operator listened to what was being asked of him. "They are requesting permission to retreat, sir. Commander Ramirez is reporting that his forces are being overrun."

With the troubling report the entire room fell to silence and all eyes shifted to Tegan, who found himself surprised at the news as well. It wasn't heard until now, but slowly the different channels they were monitoring began to reflect the urgency of Ramirez's request, with frantic screaming and gunfire audible in nearly every conversation.

Looking to the faces of his officers around him, he stepped forward towards the main communication's desk and motioned for the headset. If Commander Ramirez was calling them directly on this line, the message would have to be quite important.

"Go ahead Commander Ramirez, what's going on?" He questioned as he held the microphone up to his ear, the stern tone of his commander's replying voice hiding the supposedly grim situation well. "We've sure got a hell of a mess down here, Admiral. That's for sure." The commander on the other end responded calmly despite the fact that the sounds of battle were clear in the background, showing how close the fighting had come to the once well defended command post.

"How's that? I'm going to need something a little more specific than that." Tegan responded as Ramirez chuckled. "Well, for starters, the fighting has moved so close to the command station here that I can basically see the whites of their fuckin' eyes. That fits my reports well I guess, because at last word I have five of the city's fifteen wards marked as captured by the enemy, with another seven reporting immediate danger of collapse. Of those seven, another four have issued Broken Arrow. Problem is that we don't have enough close air support to effectively assist them, and at this rate I fear we will be knee deep in Federal infantry and armor within the hour." Ramirez responded to Tegan's demand, bringing the young leader to grunted in annoyance.

Surrendering Cordova did not fit well into their plan and while he was the supreme leader of their military forces Ramirez held far more experience in the field and he respected his judgment.

"What do you believe is your best course of action?" Tegan replied, to which Ramirez almost immediately responded in return. "At this point I believe our best option is to withdraw from Cordova to a more defensible location on the far side of the mountains, sir. I hate to give up the city as much as you do, but with our broken lines it would appear our defense is doomed, and our position untenable." Sitting in silence, Tegan ran his free hand through his hair before placing the headset back to his ear a moment later.

"Alright, issue the order. Fall back and regroup at the first defensive line. I will meet with you once you return, Commander. Be careful." Tegan instructed, handing his headset back to the radio operator and promptly returning back to his men as across all of the radio channels in the room the emergency evacuation order was being given.

"Another major set back." One of the officers states out loud in a defeated tone as their leader returned, bringing Tegan to shake his head. "A set back yes, but not necessarily a major one." He replied looking down to the maps in front of him again, but this time focusing on the defensive perimeter they had established between the city and the base itself; a series of defense networks ranging from concrete bunkers and antiquated trench systems to damaged mobile suits that without legs had now found themselves used as stationary gun emplacements.

"We will regroup and recapture Cordova when the time is right, but for now we need to focus on the base, resupply and tending to our wounded comrades. They may have taken the city but we sure made them fight for it, and they will not be in any shape to progress any further for the time being, and we would be foolish to waste this opportunity." He adds, pointing to the first ring of emplacement networks he had just ordered Commander Ramirez to retreat to.

"Here's where we'll draw the line and stop their progress. Their will is breaking, and it is only a matter of time before they can no longer keep the world in the dark. Help will come. We just need to make it clear that we will still be here when they get her." Their leader insists, though he himself felt the uneasy sensation washing over him as the reality of their situation set in. Losing ground did not look good no matter how well he dressed it up, but in all reality he truly believed he was right.

Such a brazen attack showed how desperate they were to end this war quickly and with as little loss as possible; courtesies he had so far denied his enemy. Each day that they held on was an increase in the risk the Federation ran of having their charade exposed and the people's faith in them diminish, bringing more and more supporters to his cause. They could win; they must win.

"Reinforce the lines and prepare for a Federal attack. Rest assured knowing that when that attack does come not only will we will stop it in its tracks, but we will break the Federation once and for all. And I will be standing right there beside you." The cerberus added as he stood up straight, looking to each of his men individually before stopping on his young lieutenant; his bright eyes lighting up at his leader's focus on him.

In this young pilot he could see the image of himself not that long ago when he first came under Admiral Cousland's command, and with it all of the potential in the world. Young men and women like him would be the future of his Federation and it was his responsibility to make sure their vision and morals went untainted by those who wished to see them fail.

"You are all dismissed. Lieutenant Winters, with me. I wish to speak with you." Tegan instructed one last time as he saluted his men, waiting for them to return the gesture before walking off towards the air field's hangers, his favored subordinate at his side.


	41. Chapter 41: A Line in the Snow

From the forward command post at the last of his defensive rings Tegan and his command staff looked out across the rolling plains before him; his view through the binoculars in his hands distorted by a gentle snowfall, though he could still see the white fields alive with movement, even at this hour of the night.

For the past two weeks the forces of his Cerberus Confederation had remained on high alert while simultaneously reinforcing what fortifications had already existed prior to the fall of Cordova City.

Bulldozers and dump trucks acquired from local mining companies worked nearly around the clock to create networks of trenches large enough for both foot soldiers as well mobile suits to seek cover in while bunkers and dugouts of reinforced concrete were formed across the landscape. Scattered across the massive construction site was at least five mobile suits at all times, ready to respond should the enemy's attack come, which to many seemed to be long overdue.

"How is the eastern sector of the first line coming?" He questioned out loud as he found observing that far in the inclement weather difficult, prompting one of his chief engineering corps members behind him to speak. "As scheduled, sir. The additional machine gun bunkers and anti-MS missile launcher pits you requested have been added to the line." The engineer replied as Tegan nodded in acknowledgement, still scanning across their defenses.

Infantry-based anti-mobile suit operations were long outdated and often considered to be a suicide assignment by those tasked with their completion but could still be effective when used correctly, and given that at last count they had less than twenty combat active mobile suits, they would need to utilize every tactic and tool possible.

Out of habit he ran his eyes over the horizon once more, searching for any sign of advancing forces, even if use of visual detection would be nearly impossible in the snow. Even he had found himself wondering where the next Federal attack was. An experienced commander like Margaret Pierce had to understand that she was allowing the enemy precious time to regroup, rearm and fortify their position, making it all the harder for her battered 2nd Fleet to obtain victory. What was she waiting for, some kind of miracle?

"What do you think Winters, do you think we can hold the line?" Tegan questioned his lieutenant as he handed him the binoculars for him to look as well, stepping to the side to allow him to step forward to take a look.

Over the past few days he had spent much time with Corey, going over the battle plan should an attack come as well as discussing ideology; not only of his own, but of his own late mentor Admiral Cousland, who had arguably taught him everything he knew of the Federation and Earth, past and present. To his surprise, it seemed that this boy had shared roughly the same beliefs that he did, making it not only easy to justify his actions but also a joy to speak with him.

"I think we are in good shape, Admiral. The enemy is broken and these defenses will be more than enough to hold them long enough to receive our reinforcement." Corey replied as he handed the binoculars back to his leader and turned to face him before his eye caught a glimpse of a platoon of soldiers passing by to their side, likely to relieve their brothers for their next shift of work. They were tired but determined; a common trait amongst the soldiers that followed Tegan and his beliefs.

"That's right." The Cerberus replied with a grin as he patted his protege on the back with his prosthetic arm, motioning with his head for him to follow as the two began to walk back towards their transport vehicle. "Follow." He instructed, carefully descending down the steps from the metal observation platform they stood on.

"Where to now, Admiral Trevlyn?" Corey questioned as he came closer to the Cerberus, looking to Tegan as he looked back. "We are heading back to base. There isn't much else we can do here ourselves, unless you know how to run a bulldozer, that is." Tegan joked, bringing Corey to laugh and shake his head.

"No sir, I don't. Grew up on my dad's farm in Old Tennessee, but never once touched heavy machinery. Not until I became a mobile suit pilot, that is. I usually did the more tedious work, like cleaning off the dozer after my father was done." Corey joked while pulling his knit cap further down over his ears in the fridge air raising a chuckle out of his superior.

"A farm boy, just like me. I can respect that. Explains your mentality and common sense." The man replied as they neared the armored transport and escort that brought them out to the fields, saluting his guards as he did so, though Corey shook his head.

"Nah, my mother was the one who taught me about common sense. But my father did teach me how to shoot a rifle." The boy retorted once again as Tegan laughed once again. "That's a good skill to have. One day the fighting may resort to that. Hope you were a good shot." He replied as Corey shut the transport's door and the convoy set out back towards Cordova.

Arriving back at the Confederation's base the Cerberus' transport split from its escort and moved across the massive triple-crossed airstrip towards the hangers on the other side. "Inspecting the mobile suits again?" Corey asked as Tegan watched through his window as they passed by a patrolling mobile suit; an original RGM-79 Sniper from the One Year War that had been painted snow colors to match its surroundings.

"Something like that. There is something I want to check up on." He states as their vehicle comes to a stop at the entrance to one of the four large hangers on the base, catching Corey's eye. This particular hangar was one that he had not been inside of.

From what he understood, this was where Cerberus Division housed their most important and powerful equipment, including the nuclear device that they had used in Dakar. "I've never been in here before." He says out loud as they both open their car doors and step out into the snow before immediately headed towards the hangar without delay.

Coming to the door they were once again saluted by two guards, though this time both guards were true Cerberus Division commandos. "Good evening, Admiral." One of the men stated as Tegan nodded and opened the door, holding it for his counterpart to come into the warmth as well.

Pulling the door behind him to keep the wind from taking it, Corey turned towards his leader with a shiver. "Thank y-" He began to express in gratitude before freezing at the sight before him; a mobile suit that he had never seen before. Seeing Corey's surprised appearance from the corner of his eye, Tegan grinned.

"Impressive, isn't it?" He questioned as he took a step forward towards the machine, which stood armless in the center of the room with multiple diagnostic cables and hoses ran to and from its frame. Use to seeing only the traditional Federal mobile suits, the design of the machine seemed foreign to the young pilot, portraying almost a Zeonic appearance, at least the cockpit.

"It is… but what is it?" Lieutenant Winters questioned, but the answer he anticipated did not come from his leader. Instead, it originated from their side, where a team of technicians and scientists stood talking about the weapon in question. "It's a work of art, is what it is." A voice called as a man, likely in his early fifties, walked towards them.

Seeing the scientist Tegan turned to face him, clapping his hands together in expectation of good news. "Ah, Doctor Hashmir! How is your work coming today?" He questioned as the man shook his head. "Eh, nothing new to report. The bog boy here is giving me a hard time, like usual." Dr. Hashmir replied as Tegan's smile dissipated a bit, bringing him to look back up at the machine towering above them.

"That's too bad. I'm sure you are trying your best, but I'm sure you are also aware how a weapon like this, if functional, could turn the tide of war drastically in our favor." Tegan replied to which the mechanic nodded. "Yes, yes I know Admiral. It will take some time, but we will get the Stein running again." He replied as Corey tilted his head. He had heard the name Stein before, but it was something from the past.

"Stein? That's this thing's name?" He asked as Tegan nodded. "Yes, and no. It's not the original by any means, but at its core it is one of Anaheim Electronics' most powerful mobile suits, incorporating both a psycommu cockpit as well as an extremely powerful generator capable of running the strongest beam weapons in our arsenal. You've seen it before, piloted by the Sleeves' pilot Full Frontal under the name Sinanju." Tegan answered as Corey's eyes opened wider.

He had heard of this name during his time in the ECOAS training program, and now that they mentioned, he could see the machine's cockpit struck a sharp resemblance to the images captured of the Neo-Zeon war machine. "This is Full Frontal's mobile suit?" He asked as once again Tegan shook his head.

"No, what was left of that suit has long been disposed of in a place that not even Cerberus Division knows. This is a reproduction, likely assembled from spare parts created for the Sinanju. A few years back Cerberus was sent out to a colony that was rumored to be harboring insurrectionists. After the threat was neutralized, the torso and various other parts of this machine were found amongst their limited arms supply; psycommu and all." The Cerberus answered as Hashmir stepped in.

"And that's where it sat until a few weeks ago when Tegan ordered it reconstructed. It should have been done by now, but since the machine was not complete we have had to make due with what we have to create a fully functional machine. Luckily we just happened to have a relatively high performance mobile suit in our inventory; a nearly pristine 6A1 Zeta Plus. With combat capabilities that well exceed even our remaining Jesta's, we hope that the Stein, or the Zeta Stein as we have come to call it, will play a key in our victory." Hashmir added as Tegan grinned, taking a few steps closer towards the machine as the others tagged along.

"I hope so, Dr. We will need it in the coming months, especially if we are going to take the fight back to the Federation once again." Tegan replied as he crossed his arms and looked over the shoulders of several technicians, reading the text on their workstations to catch a glimpse of his future suit's actual status. "Don't worry, when that time comes, you will have your mobile suit, and it will have the nuclear capability you requested." Dr. Hashmir replied, bringing Lieutenant Winters to cock his head.

"Nuclear capability?" He questioned as Tegan turned to him and nodded. "Yes. We've got a few more nuclear warheads here in Cordova, and I plan to use them." The Cerberus replied, though Corey shook his head.

"Permission to speak freely, sir." He asked to which Tegan nodded and motioned with his good hand for him to do so. "I understand that it is not above the corrupt regime's crimes to use these weapons against them, and in that I am alright. My concern lies with the continued loss of civilian lies. We don't want to turn the Earth's populace against us, and while these weapons give us the ability to deal the crippling damage necessary for our victory, I worry that it will further earn the Federation sympathy." The Lieutenant stated as Tegan grinned and chuckled, looking to Dr. Hashmir as he did so.

"You see Dr. Hashmir, I told you he was smart." He complimented before turning his whole body around and leaning against one of the mechanic's workstations, facing his young officer. "I agree with you wholeheartedly, Corey. What was done in Dakar was a necessary tragedy and something I plan to avoid in the future. He truth is that while they may think that the Federation is right, many Federal citizens are merely brainwashed by what they know is their reality, and for that I can not punish them. That is what we are here to rectify after all, isn't it? To free the people of Earth from the corrupt ideals of those who plan to hand over our lives to those plotting our destruction in space." Tegan lectured, looking over his shoulder at the Zeta Stein above them.

"No, these missiles will be used for a much more vital target, one where no citizens of Earth will die in their yield. Once our mission on Earth is complete and we can safely raise our flag over Lhasa, I will personally deliver these missiles to the New Republic, securing peace for all citizens of Earth and her loyal colonists." He added as Corey's eyes widened.

"The New Republic of Zeon, sir? Do you really see them as an imminent threat? I mean, they may have been victorious at Side 3 and during their retreat out into deep space, but their military is basically crippled. I don't understand how they would even be capable of attacking the Earth, and if they were, why would they want to?" The boy questioned, bringing his leader's eyes to focus on him a negative light for the the first time.

"Where did you hear that? Were you present at either battle?" He fired back almost instantaneously, catching Corey off guard. "No sir, I was not. But from what I have heard, by the end of the second battle, they were down to a handful of mobile suits still capable of flying, let alone putting up a fight." He replied as Tegan scowled.

"Exactly." He barked back as he again looked to the Stein, it's inactive eyes seemingly judging them all in the room. "You haven't seen the destruction they are capable of. Counselor Wright may have infected the Federation with a disease that slowly rotted away the Earth's will over the past few years, but those inhuman Zeon dogs will destroy everything we hold dear without warning. Once we defeat Wright, they will be next. Then, and only then, will the Earth be safe to rest." The Cerberus dictated without opposition as a silence fell over the group of Confederation soldiers, leaving Corey a moment to stare at his leader, thinking about what had just been said.

Until now he had followed Tegan without question, but with his rant came a small glimpse at the paranoid and irrational leader the Federation had warned about in an attempt to sway defectors away from his side following the bombing at Dakar.

But with that came a further thought; like Tegan said, he had not been at the Battle of Side 3 or the attack on the colonies, nor were the same leaders that warned about him. How could they or himself say he was wrong to fear the New Republic's intentions and strength? As genocidal as they may seem, could they possibly be what was truly the safest option for humanity in the Earth's sphere?

After a moment or two the silence in the room broke as Dr. Hashmir cleared his throat in preparation to speak. "Anyway, the last thing that I wanted to speak with you about was the other mobile suit we've been working on." The doctor began, pointing past the Stein towards a suit in the rearmost bay of the hangar, almost not visible from their current location. Following the Doctor's finger, Corey looked out at the distant machine in curiosity, though Tegan seemed less than thrilled about this one.

"The mutant from the One Year War, doc?" He asked with a sigh of exhaustion as Dr. Hashmir nodded. "That is the one." He replied, handing Tegan a tablet with details of the mobile suit, which the Cerberus redirected to Corey having already read the machine's proposed data profile.

"I still don't understand why you are wasting your time. It is still my honest opinion that the majority of your efforts should be moved to the Zeta Stein, not that hunk of junk." Tegan stated as Corey scrolled through the pages of the document on his screen, revealing the design in question. It was a relic design that had apparently been played with during the period following the one year war; the Ez-8, as it was called.

"Yes, you have mentioned that, but it would be a waste not to use the parts that Admiral Shuin brought with him, and unlike that pain in the ass monstrocity you have me building now, the Ez-8 is coming together rather swimmingly. We don't have a lot of mobile suits left to choose from, and even with the salvage we recovered from our past battles we were only able to maintain the ragged fleet already in service. It was by pure luck that we were able to both build this machine from spare parts _and_ have it turn out to be our only operational high performance suit." The doctor retorted as Tegan chuckled.

"High performance maybe, but I'm not too keen on operating a suit that is greatly designed around a thirty-three year old relic with a suppedup generator attached to it. A generator that, if you recall, doesn't fit inside of the torso completely, requiring an enlarged backpack to simply protect it from incoming fire." The Cerberus stated out loud as Hashmir shook his head and crossed his arms in annoyance. They had gone through this argument several times by now, and each time it was nearly the same outcome.

"Have you ever heard the old saying, 'If it's stupid but it works, then it's not stupid'?" He questioned the Admiral who looked to him with a nod. "Yes?" Tegan replied as Hashmir smirked. "Well, then it's not stupid." Having a feeling that the doctor was going to say something akin to that old proverb, Tegan chuckled lightly with a grin, preparing his own witty comment.

"No, but it sure is ugly." With a laugh of his own Corey handed the tablet back to Dr. Hashmir, looking up one more time at the Ez-8, then back at the Zeta Stein. "Have to give it the Admiral on this one it's not a looker, that's for sure. But, like the Doc said, it looks as if it is a viable asset to the Confederation. Even if it's use is only temporary pending the completion of the Stein." The boy added as Tegan looked to him with his lingering grin and sighed.

"I guess that's the general consensus then, huh? Well, if that's what you two think is best, so be it. I will use the mutant should the need arise… but once the Zeta Stein is done, I don't think I want to ever see that thing again." Tegan finally accepted with a laugh as Corey did the same, surprising Dr. Hashmir. "Well... good. Once she is finished I will have it fueled, armed and placed into a ready status in Hangar 3." The man stated as Tegan nodded and turned back towards the entrance to the hangar, thanked the doctor for his time and motioned for his assistant to follow along.

Leaving the restricted area and heading back out into the falling snow, the young lieutenant looked to his leader and cleared his throat, catching Tegan's eye. "Permission to speak, Admiral?" He asked as Tegan nodded, sticking his hands in his hand in his pocket to stay warm.

"I just want to apologize for my inappropriate statements regarding the New Republic in there. It was not right for me to cast doubt on your judgment. I wasn't there, and you were right, I didn't see the things you did. If you say that the New Republic is a threat regardless of their status, I am inclined to believe you. It won't happen again." Corey apologized as they came to the vehicle before them while the Cerberus stared into his eyes, giving the boy an uneasy feeling and causing him to believe that he shouldn't have said anything at all.

Much to his surprise however, Tegan didn't scold him like he was sure he was going to. "There is no need to apologize, Lieutenant. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, regardless of whether or not they coincide with mine, so long as you still have faith in our cause." Tegan replied with a small grin, to which Corey nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely, sir." Hearing Corey's answer, Tegan patted him on the shoulder before opening his side of the armored vehicle and climbing inside, ignoring the fact that the grip of his metal hand almost slipped off of the door handle as he did so. Waiting until Tegan had boarded first, Corey did the same and climbed in beside him through the opposite door. "Back to HQ, please." Tegan instructed to the driver of the transport as it began to pull forward and make it's trek across the base towards their command center.

"Nothing else for us to do?" Corey questioned as Tegan laughed. "There really isn't much more we can do for now, Corey. Until we receive reinforcement we are locked in a purely defensive role and unless the Federation attacks, that role is rather stagnant." The Cerberus replied as he turned back to his partner in crime.

"You see now why your work is so important, correct? That Hygogg of yours and your skills piloting it are truely what our fate balances on. If you break the blockade we can pull in all of our remaining allies. Do that and we will attack the Federation head on, taking back Cordova and spreading across the land and sea, starting with North America. With that territory captured we will have more than enough resources and manpower to continue on to the rest of the Earth." He added as Corey grunted under his breath.

He knew there would be immense pressure placed on him when he accepted the assignment but hearing now just how much his actions accounted for was quite daunting. "I understand. That's why I plan to head out as soon as we get back. The sooner we break through, the better." Lieutenant Winters added, bringing Tegan to smirk.

"I applaud your dedication and agree with you on that, but take your time and act with a cool head. You are one of the best soldiers I have under my command and loosing you would be a major blow to the Confederation. Pace yourself." He stated as Corey nodded. Knowing that the conditions underwater were growing more dangerous by the day it was imperative that keep up his work. He couldn't fail and allow their cause to fail as well. He had to break through. "Yes sir."

Above the Earth and unbeknownst to those below the _Samuel Raditz_ was beginning to make its final approach towards the Earth's atmosphere, escorted on the starboard side by the Dogosse Giar-class battleship _Horizon_ ; Captain Pierce's flagship. Under command of her first mate First Lieutenant Chalmer as Pierce herself was in charge of the operations in Alaska, the vessel had been leading them on safe passage through the Earth's Sphere for the last two days to guarantee the ship and it's passengers made it to the surface safe from anyone who might do it harm.

The closer they came to the Earth the higher the anxiety amongst the crew grew, filling the ship with an aurora that made even those who couldn't sense it directly feel it's overbearing presence. Despite this they continued about their duties, each pitching in wherever they could and doing their part to make sure their crew was ready for the coming battle, including the mechanics struggling to finish preparing their mobile suits in time for their arrival.

"Go ahead, lower it down!" Carina called out while floating in front of Douglas' Zakum; it's torso and lower half being reassembled as one following a massive overhaul and repair operation that took much longer than expected due to a tiring combination of the machine's age as well as an in depth search into its mechanics to see what was damaged and in need of replacement.

Geoff wanted each of their mobile suits to be running at peak efficiency for the upcoming battle and as such he entrusted that task to Carina, who he knew would not let him down regardless of the pressure on her shoulders. It hadn't been the first time she felt overburdened by the responsibility given to her and it likely wouldn't be the last, but knowing that this could possibly be the last time the needed to fight anyone for their freedom added even more weight to her mind.

Tracking the Zakum's torso with her eyes as it glided down towards it's legs, she waved her hands to slow the crane's speed, wanting to smoothly nudge the machine into position as carefully as possible as to not put any unnecessary stress on the machine's joints. It had been a long, long time since most of these machines fought under gravity, so avoiding any unnecessary wear and tear now could possibly save them headaches further down the line.

"Easy, easy." She called out on her radio to the crane's operator, doing her best to convey a calm demeanor, even though the slow pace of their current task was driving her mad. They were nearly to Earth and still had not finished repairing and assembling all of their mobile suits, with both the Rick Dom and Jaeger still in pieces.

The biggest holdup with the Rick Dom was that the parts they thought they would be receiving for the it were mislabeled in the available catalog from Heaven's End, leaving them to receive the parts necessary to construct a Rick Dom Tropen, a land-based variant, rather than the general purpose Dom II.

The mix up actually worked in their favor however as the Dom Tropen was capable of high speeds on land over difficult terrain and would better suit the coming battle's setting, allowing to come close in speed to the Jaeger and offer Amaury much needed support; ironic, seeing as the pilots of the two machines in question still did not exactly see eye to eye.

"Almost there; doing good." She chimed in as finally, much to all of their relief, the machine's halfs connected with a reassuring click. "Good!" Carina called out with a heavy sigh, taking a deep breath before moving onto her next task without break.

"Alright, let's get this Zakum all hooked together and moved on to systems testing. Is the Jaeger ready to be reassembled yet?" The major asked her exhausted crew through her mic as another crewman answered her. "No ma'am, its not. We are still putting the avionics and control systems back in after their firmware update. It's going to be a few more hours, minimum." The crew member replied, causing Carina to frown.

"Fine. Bring up the Dom next then." She ordered, backing away from the Zakum to look down the hangar lane towards the Jaeger; it's green frame standing without head or arms in the bay it was being reassembled in. When they disassembled it back on Dresden they took apart nearly every part of the machine from head to toe with the hope that they would have quite a long time to inspect, service and reassemble each piece as need be.

But when Counselor Wright appeared at their doorstep and offered them the deal of their lifetime that all chance, resulting in every piece of the machine being boxed up and moved to the Raditz where it had spent the greater part of the last week being worked on around the clock by a team of engineers.

While she appreciated their help this was the first time that she had allowed anyone but herself of those being directly observed by her own eyes to touch her fiance's machine, causing a tight knot to form in her stomach. So many things could go wrong, so very many things, and despite the fact that she frequently took breaks to check on it's progress she couldn't help but regret not being there to make sure things were done right, no matter how much faith she had in her team.

Like the Rick Dom, the Jaeger wasn't as simple as putting the parts back where they came from. As with many of their other machines, the Jaeger had expended most of the available replacement parts they had in stock for it and due to the rarity of the One Year War relic no parts were available.

This led to Carina being forced to pull forth several designs from her notebooks and sketches, and to pick one that she thought would be most efficient without actually being able to take the time to create prototypes of the design or test it. The parts in question were shoulders of the Jaeger, one of which was completely destroyed and the other damaged in defense of the colonies, and while these parts were not truly critical to the functionality of the suit itself, they would be crude and there would be a notable drop in performance due to the limited time they had to replace them.

The design she selected was simple; the booster housings of both shoulders were removed and replaced with thick armored panels that would move and shift with the suit's flow while remaining balanced thanks to the machine's internal gyroscope. These pieces were also being coated with a special anti-beam weapon coating to help protect against enemy fire should beam weapons be present and could sustain heavy damage without breaking.

Another upgrade the green machine would be receiving was the claw that she had discussed with Amaury about on the day of Counselor Wright's arrival, as it was a rather simple design and construction process based around the Jaeger's pre existing hand.

The Jaeger itself wasn't the only machine receiving upgrades and modifications however as many of the weapons shipped in from Heaven's End were to be implemented for the first time in the upcoming battle. Fleetwide the NRZ was seeing a shift from their outdated 120mm Machine Guns to a much more powerful, Heaven's End produced machine gun chambered in the more effective 155mm and capable of firing several variations of ammunition.

This weapon was not as powerful as beam weapons but was commercially much more available and easier to acquire and came in both medium and short barrel lengths. The fleet did acquire a single beam weapon however, though the large, long range rifle was both bulky and extremely heavy, landing it a spot in Marcus' hands to replace the one lost in defense of the _Raditz_ and Latty's mobile suit.

The guntank itself had received upgrades as well, swapping out it's pair of 180mm long range cannons for a set of 300mm howitzers that, while ineffective in space, would prove to be devastating on Earth for anything they hit.

Still floating in the mobile suit lane, Carin's mind began to drift from a combination of exhaustion and stress. Even with the upgrades and retrofits being administered to their fleet as well as the generally upbeat tone around the ship she worried that it might not be enough to ensure the safety of those she cared about.

They had not spoken with either Pierce or Wright since they departed from New Hagen nearly two weeks prior and there was some worry that they could be walking into a trap if the Federation had lost their battle in the time that it took them to arrive, though the presence of Pierce's flagship seemed to be reassuring to that fact that this wouldn't be the case.

Would all of their work be enough to keep their pilots safe? They only needed to fight this one battle; this last battle. But who wouldn't survive it? Who would die and never return home to the New Republic to see what they had fought for come to life? Would it be Marcus or Latty? Douglas? What about Geoff? Tome would be safe away from the fighting, but in her place the Kalani was to be piloted by a young, skilled pilot named Naomi; would it be her? Or could it be possible it would be Amaury. Would this be the time she sent her beloved off to battle only to never see his smile or hear his loving words again?

"Major hughes?" A voice questioned from beside her, causing Carina to jump as she looked to her side as one of her engineers floated by slowly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but the Colonel Walker is looking for you on the bridge. We were calling you on the radio, but you weren't answering." The young woman stated as Carina stared at her for a moment before nodding.

"No I'm sorry, I was a bit… distracted. Alright, I will head up there. Is there anything you guys need before I go? Does everyone understand what's going on?" She questioned out loud, receiving all negative correspondences as she nods. "Okay, well, if that is the case I will be back. You are all doing a great job, keep up the good work. The end of our journey is almost here, but that doesn't mean we can slack off yet! Save that for the flight home!" She called out in a cheery yet feigned tone to some laughter, looking back up towards the Jaeger in the distance. Would it be enough?

Pulling the helmet from her head to allow her hair to flow freely, Carina entered the bridge of the _Raditz_ and was almost immediately taken back not only by the sight of all of the people who had gathered, but by the Earth; it's heavenly glow almost blinding as it's wide seas and land masses filled the bridge's windows in their entirety.

"There she is! What took you so long?!" Marcus joked as Carina grinned, walking towards him and Tome as well as a short-haired blonde girl who stood next to them. "I'm sorry, I was busy putting together your mobile suit Marcus." She jested back, running her hand through her hair as she focused on the newcomer between his friends.

"You must be Naomi, right? I'm Carina. Tome's told me alot about you." Carina stated in a friendly manner as Tome's face lit up, speaking over Naomi. "Yep, that's her! She's the one who's but I saved during the liberation. But don't worry, she's gotten better now! Much better!" Tome yelled obnoxiously as Naomi blushed.

"Y-Yeah, that was me. Tome's been training me, and while I don't know if I've become _much_ better, I would say it's helped quite a bit." Naomi responded sheepishly as Tome grinned wildly. "Nope, much better!" She hummed as Carina smiled, shaking her head at Tome's oddly hyper mood before taking a more serious tone.

"How are you training her Tome? You better not be getting in that machine." Carina huffed in a worried fashion as Tome did the same. "Are you kidding me? I can't even get my suit on over the twins here. I've just been talking her through it, teaching her some of the stuff Elise taught me, ya know?" She replied as Carina rolled her eyes. "Mhmm." She hummed, looking around the room for any sign of her man.

"Where is Amaury, Marcus?" Carina asked, to which Marcus chuckled and pointed out towards the glass windows at the front of the bridge where both he and Latty stood looking out at the Earth in awe. "Doing one of his Amaury things again. You know, the one where he sees something he likes so he has to stare at it. Like when he sees you, for example." Marcus said sarcastically as Carina rolled her eyes and began to make her way through the crowd of people to Amaury's side, opposite of Latty.

Grabbing onto Amaury's arm to slow herself from floating into the windows she smiled up at him as he turned his head to greet her momentarily before returning his vision out to the Earth, home of their forefathers and the thousands of generations who came before them and from which all humanity stemmed.

"It looks a lot different up close." He said softly as Latty nodded in agreement. "Certainly is more water than I thought there would be." She added as Carina laughed. Having forgotten that this was the first time either of them had been to Earth she found their curiosity entertaining, in a friendly way, of course.

"Yeah, it's pretty wet down there." She replied as Amaury smirked, watching the continents below as they slowly drifted by. "Where is Australia babe?" He questioned randomly, catching both Latty and Carina's eyes as she blinked. He had heard of the country before he met Carina, but hearing he speak of it and her family had made him curious.

"Australia?" She asked out loud as she looked down below as well, looking to the continents to find a reference point to navigate from. "Oh, there! See it?" She asked, pointing over the railing in front of them towards the continent below. "You can't miss it, it's the one with the big hole." She added as Amaury's eyes locked to the hole she spoke of, bringing him to tilt his head.

"A hole? What did that?" He asked as Carina's grin slowly retracted a bit. "A colony. During the opening days of the One Year War the Principality of Zeon tried to use a colony to hit the Federation's base at Jaburo, putting an end to the war. It… didn't work." The girl added as both Amaury and Latty looked out to Australia again.

"A colony? Man… was it empty?" She now questioned as Carina shrugged. "Allegedly, yes. But that was during a rather dark time in human history and nobody really knows the truth." Carina added once again as they all stared out at the Earth in silence for a moment Geoff, who stood at the helm of the ship, clapped his hands to gain their attention.

"Alright everyone, listen up. As everyone here can tell we have made it to Earth; a place that just like many of you I thought I would never return to. This marks a halfway point in our physical journey, but we are nowhere near done with our mission yet, so don't kick your feet up just yet." Geoff instructed as he looked out at his crew while simultaneously pressing buttons on his command console, bringing up an aerial map of Cordova and surrounding areas.

"We are finally in radio contact with Captain Pierce and her team. They have advised us that their operations to retake the city of Cordova were victorious and that her forces have managed to drive Tegan's renegades back to Cerberus division's base along the Alaskan gulf coast." Geoff narrated while using the small touch screen in front of him to manipulate and navigate the larger at the center of the room. Using his finger he circled the enemy's base of operations as well as highlighting the current Federal and Confederation lines across the snowy plains surrounding the base.

"Here you can see the current standing of things. The Federation came down from the northeast and hammered into the city until Tegan's forces, or the Cerberus Confederation as he now calls it, were forced to fall back to this series of defensive networks while from the sea the Federal navy's aquatic forces have blockaded their port, preventing their own naval forces from leaving or any reinforcements from coming to their aid. They are cornered and running off whatever supply and munitions they had stockpiled inside of that fortress they call home prior to being besieged. However, an animal is always the most dangerous when they are cornered, and we can not afford to underestimate the fight we will receive upon entering the fray. For example..." He continued, swiping the picture from the screen to show a photo of the base from a distance, likely taken from a Federal observation aircraft a safe distance from the base during a clear day.

Even from the picture it was clear to see that the airfield was large and contained several large hangars, office buildings and hardpoints of reinforced weapon emplacements while surrounding the base was a final layer of defenses, including trenches, more weapons emplacements, half-operational mobile suits and a large reinforced concrete wall that stood at nearly the height of mobile suit, intended to keep such weapons from easily gaining access to the base unhindered.

"This is what their base of operations has evolved into. Multiple rings of defense networks, bunkers, trenches and guns. We have not received the official battle plan yet due to fear of its interception, but I wager the end game will be for the capture of this facility."

"Yeah, and to cut Tegan's head off!" Marcus interrupted with a big grin, bringing with his comment a series of wild cheers from those on the bridge as Geoff smirked and waved for silence.

"That too, Marcus. That too. But this mission is not about revenge. It wasn't ever about revenge, not even from the very beginning, and we can't make it about it now. We have to remain calm, level headed and tactful. Remember that we are guests in the Federation's house and while we may have not seen eye to eye up until this invitation this mission is a very, very important step in the direction of lasting peace and coexistence between our two worlds. We can't let emotion ruin that." Colonel Walker replied as he moved his attention back to large screen once more, pulling up the map of Cordova to display once more so that everyone would get a chance to study the layout of the region.

"Now obviously we will not be able to land on the surface of the planet at this time, so the plan right now is that the Federation will be dispatching shuttles to transport our suits and equipment down from the _Raditz_ as it remains in orbit over the southwestern portion of the former continent of Canada. This will take a bit of time, so while our engineers and deck crewmen work on that the pilots, our chief engineer and myself will be heading down to Earth to formally announce our rival to the Federal forces as well as discuss exactly what our battle plans will entail."

"Naomi, I am going to ask that you stay onboard the _Raditz_ to assist in its defense in the off chance something should happen up here. First Lieutenant Chalmer has informed us that the _Horizon_ will remain within arms reach of our vessel once our mobile suit force has departed for Earth and that he himself will be docking his mobile suit aboard our ship as an added defense. You may feel nervous about this, but I trust Pierce and her judgment to leave Chalmer aboard. Are you alright with this?" Geoff questioned as the woman, whose face had turned a slight shade of red from the embarrassment of being put on the spot, nodded.

"Y-Yes Colonel, I will remain here aboard our ship." She replied as Geoff grinned. "Good. I understand you will be piloting the Kalani in Tome's place. It is a good machine and will serve you will. Should a battle erupt, I expect you to surpass her kill count." He joked as Tome stuck her tongue out. "Don't hold your breath Geoff! She's good, but there isn't anyone else like me here!" The cheeky girl replied bringing the group to laugh, Geoff turning his attention to Carina as he finished.

"How does the fleet look? Are all of the suits finished?" He asked as Carina bit her lip nervously. "Almost. The Rick Dom is being assembled as we speak, but the Jaeger will need some more time. It will be ready by the time the battle begins, don't worry." She replied as Geoff frowned a bit, crossing his arms.

"It better be. We need the Green Demon to crush Tegan once and for all, right Amaury?" Geoff questioned with a small laugh, turning to his star pilot as the boy looked back to him with a grin of his own. "What about this not being about revenge?" Amaury questioned as Geoff laughed one more.

"It's not, but after all of the bad blood between you two, I figured it would only be fair if you got to at least participate in the fight." He joked as Amaury nodded. "Don't think for a second that I won't be there. This will be the last battle that bastard sees. I'll make sure of it." The boy added as his smile reflected more determination than light hearted fun, bringing Geoff to smirk once again.

"I know you will." He replied and with Amaury's answer returned his attention to his crew as a whole. "Everybody heard their orders so as long as there is no confusion, let's get moving. The shuttles to bring down the personnel should be arriving soon and the suit transports shortly there after. Those going down in the first wave, gather your things and meet the rear hangar in about fifteen minutes. Dismissed."

Doing as they were instructed the trio of bunkmates immediately headed to their rooms to gather at least two nights worth of clothing and personal essentials. "Should I take spare socks?" Tome questioned out loud from her bunk as Carina laughed, putting that exact item into her bag.

"I mean if you didn't that would be kinda gross, don't you think?" The girl replied as Tome scoffed. "You really think my feet get that sweaty, yo? What do I look like, a man?!" She responded, sitting down to relieve the pain in her ankles while making Carina laugh even more.

"I would take them just in case Tome. You don't want to walk around with wet feet; you and the babies could get sick. Besides, I don't know what you are talking about, Amaury's feet don't smell." Carina joked while looking over at Amaury as he smirked and packed his own things.

"That's because I only have one." He replied sarcastically with a grin as Carina gasped, shocked by his morbid humor. "Amaury Dietrich, that's not funny!" She exclaimed as Tome laughed, catching Carina's gaze.

"Stop laughing Tome!" She instructed. Shaking his head, Amaury zippered his bag shut before walking over to his lover and kissing her cheek. "I'm sorry." He apologized though her pout remained, deeping even further into a genuine look of dismay.

"What's wrong babe? It was just a joke, I didn't mean to upset you." He asked softly as she looked to him and shook her head. "No, it's not that Amaury. I'm just worried is all. I know you are probably sick of hearing it, but I can't help it." She replied as her mind returned to her thoughts from earlier.

Would this be the last exchange of laughter they would share together? Seeing her worried and thought filled stare, Amaury's own smile faded. "I know you can't help it, and I know you are probably sick of hearing _this_ , but we will be alright. We will win this fight and return home to New Hagen in one piece. All of us will." He reassured her, returning at least part of her smile to her lips.

"I could never get sick of you telling me it's going to be alright." She whispered softly in reply as she stepped forward and rested her head against his chest while taking a deep breath. Even she could feel that her anxiety was getting the best of her in this difficult time and no matter how much she knew she needed to calm down she found such a simple task nearly impossible.

"Besides," He said as his smile widened, bringing her to look up at him once more out of curiosity. "I'm going to need someone to hit with my first snowball and since Tome is out of the question, I need you to be on your a-game." The boy added, surprising his lover who giggled lightly while Tome huffed scoffed.

"Just because you can't hit me doesn't mean that I'm not going to nail you with the biggest ball I can make!" She replied as the two lovers laughed before a moment later being interrupted by the ship's announcer.

"Attention all personnel; the Federal shuttle taking the first wave of NRZ staff to Earth has just arrived in Hangar 3. All applicable crew members are requested to make their way to Hangar 3 in a orderly fashion at once." The voice called as the three looked at one another for a moment before Tome jumped back to her feet with an excited glee. "Well, let's go! There's no time to waste!" She exclaimed happily as she instantly made her way to the door, prompting the two lovers to shake their heads before they too followed and began making their way to the awaiting shuttle below.


	42. Chapter 42: Storm Warning

Touching down after a rather turbulent flight to the surface of Earth, the Zeon occupied Federal transport roared to a halt at the edge of the Cordova International Spaceport's runway, blasting enormous amounts of accumulated snow from the tarmac with it's reverse thrusters as it did so. For nearly twenty five minutes the shuttle pushed its way into the Earth's remaining atmospheric layers from the _Raditz_ 's position in low orbit, and for almost every one of those twenty five minutes Amaury held onto his seat in moderate discomfort, trying his absolute best not to portray even the slightest hint of the knot his stomach was tied in.

Never having descended to a planet before it was quite the experience to behold without warning and despite having grown use to rapidly changing from gravity to zero gravity and vice versa, this was different. The lack of gravity was quickly replaced with a slowly increasing, neverending pull towards the planet below and the jarring once inside of Alaska's cold, windy airspace was much more severe than the rocking and jarring he experienced in space, even in combat.

He hated it, and holding his breath while closing his eyes tightly the whole time helped only a little and certainly didn't hide his emotions from Carina, who could feel just how afraid he was the entire time.

Not to draw any attention to her lover's plight, Carina slowly slid her hand into his, offering whatever comfort he needed on the way down and judging from the relief in his fear she felt, she knew she had helped at least a little. Even with his fiancee's comfort he didn't open his eyes again until they felt the sudden rattle of the ship's wheels hitting solid ground, and even after they had come to a complete stop he remained still in his seat as others stood around him.

"Are you okay baby?" Carina whispered as Amaury's eyes shifted from the others as they stood to her with a nod, his racing heart nearly drowning out her words. "Y-Yeah. I… I didn't expect that. Thank you." He said softly as she smiled, running her hand gently across his forehead to move a loose hair from his forehead.

"Nobody does their first time. Don't thank me for holding your hand… it's what I'm supposed to do as your wife." She joked with red cheeks as he smiled in return, his own darkening as well. "Good." He replied as their eyes locked together for a moment before she jokingly pushed his arm. "C'mon, we're going to fall behind." She teased as she stood and stepped out into the isle between their seats to begin gathering their bags from the overhead storage compartment and handing him his to carry to their destination.

Bags in hand, the two began to walk towards the shuttle's open door from which a frigid breeze had already begun blowing, bringing a smile to Carina's face as the cold air swept past them.

"Are you ready?" She turned and asked her lover who cocked his head to the side. "For what?" He asked as she giggled.

"Oh you will see." She hummed, stepping out onto the shuttle's ramp and immediately turning to watch as Amaury did the same; his eyes immediately widening from the sudden flash of their snow covered environment as Carina smiled widely. She knew he hadn't been pay attention outside of their vessel on the way down to Earth and that he would likely be surprised upon seeing snow for the first time, and she had to admit that she wasn't let down by his reaction.

"It's so… white." He said as he stepped down the stairs behind her, looking up at the slightly cloudy mid-afternoon sky above while below Marcus looked up with a chuckle of his own. "What color did you expect it to be, green?" He questioned as Latty jokingly smacked his padded jacket in the stomach. "Leave him alone, I had the same reaction as him." She jokingly reprimanded with a big grin as Marcus laughed.

"I was only kidding, relax devil woman!" He cried out, looking back to Amaury as he stepped off of the bottom of the steps into the fresh powder, feeling it's compaction while simultaneously hearing the crunching, creaking sound below his boots. He never would have assumed that snow would feel or sound quite like this, having assumed that it would be closer in nature simply harder water. "Well, what do you think?" Carina asked, stepping closer to him and taking his gloved hand in hers.

"It's nice, I like it. Much better than the flight down here, that's for sure." He answered with a smile bringing Carina, Marcus and Latty to laugh. "Well that's good, because you'll probably be seeing a lot of it while we are here!" She laughed, watching as over his shoulder Tome crept up with a snowball and prepared to throw it at the back of his head as she had promised to do on the _Raditz._

"Oh boy, look out!" Marcus exclaimed as Amaury sensed the impending attack and spun around, trying to block the snowball with his hand, though the ice cold ball exploded and struck across his face. "Oh! AH!" He exclaimed with a laugh as the cold snow slid down his neck between his skin and the neck of his winter jacket.

"It's cold! Tome, why?!" He added as the others joined in his laughter, including Geoff who approached towards the group with the others, including the often unamused Douglas. "I told you I would get you!" The girl added as she hid behind Carina who began to help Amaury clear the snow from his neck to prevent frostbite from setting in amongst the nearly single digit temperatures.

"Alright everyone, let's _try_ and act a little professional. Here comes our hosts." The Colonel chuckled, pointing over the group towards a series of armored vehicles coming across the runway towards them, each bearing the Federal flag on the side of their front doors. Shaking his head to knocked the loose snow from his hair, Amaury too looked towards the convoy approaching them, hesitant at the sight.

Although they hadn't talked about it much there had been some discussion about whether or not this could possibly be a trap intended to capture those responsible for the uprising in Side 3 as it would be rather simple to take them all into custody given the situation, and despite Geoff's insistence that this was not the case, Amaury couldn't help but feel a bit anxious, even with each of them permitted to retain their sidearm and the six moderately armed New Republican Guard soldiers who joined them.

Carina too felt a bit apprehensive about what could be an easy arrest of them all and grabbed ahold of Amaury's hand to seek the same comfort she had offered on their flight. Looking around at the nervous soldiers around him, Geoff clapped his hands to gather their attention. "Relax, relax. Everything is alright guys. We will be fine." He reassured them as the first of the vehicles came to a stop in front of them and unloaded a few soldiers of the 2nd Fleet's guard unit who ensured the meeting was safe before Pierce herself stepped out from the center vehicle; her captain's coat replaced with a much longer trench that seemed to be lined with fur, including the hood, though the sling on her injured arm remained.

"Colonel Walker and gang, it's good to see you all here, and within the agreed-upon time frame as well. I assume your journey was a safe one and that my men took good care of you through the Earth's sphere?" She asked as she walked forward towards their group, meeting Geoff in the middle.

"The journey was fine, Margaret, and your crew did a good job keeping us safe. It got a little hairy there once or twice on the way in when we were spotted by a few Federal vessels on patrol outside of Side 1, but when they saw the _Horizon_ by our side, they backed off." Geoff replied as Margaret laughed.

"Well I mean, come on. Couldn't you have waited to paint Cousland's ship until _after_ you got back to the New Republic? Nothing like painting a target on yourself, even with diplomatic protection." The woman responded again, though this time Geoff laughed. "Nah, we wanted to make sure everyone we saw understood who exactly it was coming to safe their ass, and we weren't willing to give those Cerberus bastards a single ounce of credit." Geoff added as Marcus and a few others cheered, bringing her attention to the soldiers standing in the snow behind them, then to the sun's position in the sky.

"Alright Geoff, gather your men and let's head out. It will be dark soon and given the pockets of guerrilla resistance in what remains of Cordova City, I would much prefer to be back at the base camp before then." She stated bringing Geoff to agree as he instructed his crew to do as she said and load into the awaiting transports, posthaste.

Not wanting to be seperated from one another the group of friends opted to all board the same transport while the other thirty three New Republic members filed into the remaining six vehicles, with Geoff sitting in the lead vehicle alongside Captain Pierce. Sitting down last and closing the passenger's door behind him, Douglas signaled their Federal driver that he may proceed and after a moment waiting for the rest of the convoy to prepare, they all set off from the airport towards the city, and on the other side, the Federal field command post.

From a distance it was clear that the city of Cordova had seen better days and with each yard they came closer to its outer limits the more the cheerful, lighthearted demeanor they first had upon touchdown faded.

All around the outskirts lay the destroyed husks of mobile suits and other armored vehicles whose affiliation was difficult to ascertain given their damage, leaving it to be a guessing game based on the direction they were facing at the time of their destruction, while the city skyline itself bore a broken down and decrepit appearance with several high rise structures bearing holes and missing pieces. Some of the buildings appeared to have also been collapsed in their entirety, and although the bodies of the dead would have long been removed from the streets, it was clear that there was a tremendous loss of life and suffering within Cordova on all sides, causing a massive aurora of sadness to fill the air.

This bubble of pain and suffering was so strong that Carina could sense it the second they passed the airfields defenses and turned onto the main boulevard running through the city. "God..." Carina began softly, biting her lip as they passed what appeared to be a makeshift refugee camp occupying a large, open-air parking for a shopping center darted with disaster relief vehicles and personnel.

Behind the chained fence she could also see the city of tents that blew and whipped wildly in the sharp Alaskan air while between them wandered countless shadowed figures, most of which she were assumed were the now displaced populace of the once bustling city. "This is horrible." She finished as Tome, who sat to her right side against the window of the back seat, nodded.

"It looks like what happened back home, except, well… with snow." The girl added as the others watched as well. "Yeah, except unlike with Pharos, they now have to live in this shit. Were any of these people still present when Tegan's army occupied the city?" Marcus inquired as he turned to their driver, a young soldier whose face was hidden under his helmet by a balaclava, who looked at him for a moment over his shoulder before returning his attention to the road.

"Most, if not all, actually. When the Cerberus Confederation took over they didn't allow anyone to leave, even with a battle sure to occur there. They made them stay, using their lives as a sort of shield against bombardment. In that aspect I guess it worked, but when we moved in to drive them out, they didn't seem to care much about those same civilians that kept them safe… it wasn't good." The soldier replied, twisting the majority of the New Republic soldiers' stomachs in a knot, even forcing Carina to grab hers to fightback the urge to throw up.

Hearing the story and feeling the pain in the air was mortifying, rivaling the feelings she experienced when she could sense Amaury's nightmares. "They used them like human shields…" Carina whispered, though in the silence of the armored car's atmosphere the driver was able to hear her, prompting him to nod.

With the confirmation of her fears Carina found herself unable to hold in the mounting emotion no more. How could Tegan do this? Even if he held some kind of sick, demented belief about the Federation, how could he use civilian lives as a bargaining chip and then force them to act as human shields?

This was sick, wrong, and given her unique abilities that felt much more like a curse now, it was almost too much to bear. Sniffling to try and fight the tears that now silently streamed down her face Carina looked to Amaury who upon seeing her pain pulled her into a comforting embrace. "I know." He whispered as he ran his hand over her hair in a calming motion, looking up at Marcus who too shared the same disgusted sentiment and frown.

It wasn't just the New Republic Tegan was punishing to achieve his view of the world; it was every man, woman and child who crossed his path. "So, is that bastard still hold up in Cerberus Divison's base?" Marcus questioned their driver as a follow up, the man nodding in reply.

"Yeah, he's still trapped. The original plan after we drove them from Cordova was to follow them out into the plains and finish them off, but after seeing the defenses constructed in the snow even before their retreat, Captain Pierce instructed us to cease advancing once we cleared the city. Some of us didn't think it was the right thing to do, to allow them to retreat and lick their wounds… but her decision likely saved a lot of our lives, as we are not in the best shape ourselves. We have been reduced to only twelve mobile suits that are combat capable and despite our situation Counselor Wright and Captain Pierce remain sold that requesting assistance from other Federal division's and publically allowing the citizens of Earth to know how close Tegan is to claiming Alaska as his own territory would do far more harm than good. They swear that with your help we will be able to put an end to this insanity, and even after everything that has happened between Earth and the New Republic, most of us are certainly glad you all are here to help." The soldier replied as the man he replied to forced himself to grin, even if it was only slightly as Latty chimed in.

"We will help you put an end to this, don't worry." The red head added, looking to her brother as he stared at her over his shoulder at her in silence. He did not seem to share in their previous excitement about being on Earth for the first time and like many others on their journey remained unsure just how successful they would be in defeating Tegan's army, despite the optimism he had put forward previously. Was the Federation's woe really worth his life or the life of his sister?

Tegan's followers were likely well trained and equipped if they were able to almost eradicate one of the most prestigious fleets in the Federal Navy that at their prime was nearly double their strength; what benefit did their five mobile suits truly have to offer? "How much longer?" He asked as he once again faced forward. "Fifteen minutes or so. We are nearly halfway through the city now." The driver replied in the now silent vehicle while looking in his mirror at those behind him, including the teary-eyed girl in the backseat and the boy trying to comfort her, both of which seemed frozen in place with their eyes observing the devastation outside. Did seeing this really upset her this much?

As determined by their driver the convoy arrived at its destination within a half hour, pulling into the makeshift fortifications of the Federal basecamp to the sight of several saluting soldiers and two patrolling mobile suits of the 2nd Fleet, just as a light snowfall began to drift down from the heavens.

Located between a break in the two mountain ranges that separated the city from the rolling plains that lead to out towards the Cerberus Confederation's position to the southeast, the Federal position seemed to be formed of a whole slew of insulated tents of various shapes and sizes, likely being used as both command tents as well as temporary housing for the soldiers stationed there, while all around them were makeshift walls and trenches made of snow and rubble-filled pop-up box barricades.

"Here we are. It's not much to look at… but for the past week and a half this has been home." The driver stated as the convoy came to a stop in the heart of the base and immediately started to disembark its passengers to a silently eager crow of tired, disheartened Federal footsoldiers. Going with the flow, Amaury opened his door and slid out into the snow below, waiting to guarantee he was on solid ground before helping both his love and Tome down from the relatively high-clearance armored vehicle they had been crammed into.

"Thank you." Tome hummed as she walked in front of him towards the others, all of which had in turn been following the two factions commander's as they headed towards the largest of the tents in front of them, aptly displaying a sign that read 'command' above it's entrance. "You'll have to excuse the mess in here, it's been a long week and it looks like a huge fuckin' dumpster." She huffed as she walked towards the center of the tent where a large folding table sat with multiple maps and binders strewn across it.

"Don't feel bad, NRZ command looks rather similar at the moment. No need to excuse; with the way things have been I am starting to think that we will be lost once the mess is all cleaned up." Geoff replied as he waved for the rest of the group to fill in the space around the tunnel, even managing to bring a small chuckle from Margaret. "Yeah you can say that again." She agree, watching and waiting until all of the New Republic funneled inside and the tent's doors closed.

"Is everyone here?" She questioned out loud and upon Geoff's nod, sighed. "I hate to rush right into business seeing as you have only just arrived, but given the intel I received just as I was walking out the door to come gather you all, I fear we won't have much time to get you all accustomed to life here in Alaska." She began, clearing her throat as she used her remaining good arm to lean on the large planning table while pointing at a large map on top with the bad one.

"I'm sure by now you have seen this, or at least I hope so seeing as I instructed First Lieutenant Chalmer to give it to you. It's the current standing of things. We are here," She began as she pointed down at the same map they had been shown aboard the Raditz, though this one was more detailed, showing little tactical symbols and designations along Tegan's defense, showing where they believed bunkers and stationary turrets and machine guns were placed.

"And about thirteen miles to our southeast along the Gulf of Alaska this is where Tegan's army calls home. surrounded by nearly three miles of hard points and defensive fortifications. Bunkers, trenches, machine guns; if it has been used in warfare within the two hundred years, they are probably utilizing it somehow. They've even buried some of their damaged mobile suits waist-deep in the ground and are using them as stationary weapon turrets. As far as their actual force, we estimate they have at least fifteen mobile suits, a full battalion of updated Type-61 tanks and a formidable amount of infantry, most of which will be deployed to aforementioned trenches the second we begin to attack." Pierce continued as she ran her finger over the rings of Tegan's defense network in disgust.

"You may be thinking to yourself about the validity of statistic fortifications in this era of mobile suit dominated armed conflict, but I assure you if nothing else these soldiers are deserving of their title as special forces operators. Outdated as it may be, after fighting a grueling, five day long crawl through the streets of Cordova, I can confirm that Cerberus Division are masters of all types of warfare and have even taught their lesser trained men how to keep up, making effective use of even infantry-based anti-mobile suit weaponry to keep our forces at bay."

"So what you are saying is that a full-frontal assault will be dangerous and costly, even with our assistance?" The NRZ's commanding officer asked as he crossed his arms in though, looking over just how deep-rooted their adversary had become. He was not in the least bit surprised to hear that Cerberus Division was not simply a mobile suit handy splinter faction of Londo Bell, though if he knew Pierce as well as he originally had in his past life, she was more than likely in the process of formulating an elaborate plan to overcome their disadvantage.

"That is correct. Getting drawn into that three mile long kill box would be a nightmare for our infantry and mobile suits alike, at least while they still maintained their own fleet of suits. However, that is where part of the urgency of the whole situation comes into play." She replied as she motioned for one of her officers to come forward, bringing with him a series of documentation relevant to his current task, taking them into her hands with a nod that slowly turned to a grin as she looked at the content of the papers in her hands.

"How many mobile suits did you end up bringing with you, Geoff?" Margaret asked. "Not including the mobile suit that will be tasked with defending our flagship, I've got four; a guntank variation set up for artillery use, a general purpose suit fitted for long range combat and two fast movers. You have an Idea? Judging by that grin, I am guessing so." Geoff responded as Margaret nodded once more, retaining the smile on her lips.

"I do indeed. In my hand is the weather report for the next two days. Starting tonight, it is supposed to snow heavily with major, major accumulation expected." She stated as Geoff's head tilted to the side. "And? Are you as fascinated by the snow as my crew?" He joked, bringing several of those around him to laugh as Margaret shook her head.

"No, you idiot. We are going to use the snowstorm to our advantage. Our biggest advantage remains that, as far as we can tell, nobody in the Cerberus Confederacy knows about the New Republic's involvement in the war, let alone your arrival here on Earth." Margaret replied with a bit of a stern tone while pulling a piece of paper from under the table which she then laid overtop of the existing map on the table top.

"We may not have the mobile suits to go up against the Cerberus forces head on but what we do have is artillery; twenty-five guns total, plus whatever that guntank of yours is packing. If we can get your equipment down here tonight and set up quickly, tomorrow we can hammer the Cerberus' base until they are forced to retaliate, sending their mobile suits out across the coverless plains towards our own line. We draw them out of their hole and-" She continued as Geoff interjected, knowing now what she was thinking inside of that head of hers. "And catch them off guard, springing our ambush while they are exposed." He stated, to which the Captain nodded.

"Bingo. They will think they are coming to neutralize our battered force's guns but instead will be met with not only our own mobiles suits but yours as well, and with air support impossible because of the storm, they will be on their own. We take out as many as we can and then chase them back to Cordova, burst through their softened defenses and end this once and for all. What do you think?" Margaret explained with a convinced grin, her eyes scanning the faces around her to judge their reaction only to return as Geoff voiced his opinion.

"I think it will work. However, if the snow is going to start to pick up in the morning, wouldn't it make more sense to wait until the middle of the storm, like around tomorrow evening or so?" The colonel replied bringing Margaret to shake her head.

"It would yeah, but like I said before, time is of the essence. Tegan's men have been working day and night to try and break through the blockade the Navy has established in the Alaskan Gulf, most of which is comprised by submarines to skuttle vessels and a few aquatic mobile suits to safeguard said subs, and as of eighteen hundred hours this evening only six of those submarines remained active while only one suit remains capable to defend them. Whoever they have hunting them is quite effective and we can not allow Tegan's ships to set out to sea and replenish their supplies; a situation made even more dangerous by the fact that whoever he is reaching for on the outside remains hidden to us." She added in reply as Geoff sighed under his breath and nodded in agreement.

"I agree that Tegan's break for the sea would be a major thorn in our side, especially if his goal is instead to escape rather than reinforce his current position." He said aloud as he turned to his crewmen and soldiers, each of which looked to them in their continued silence. "What does everyone think? Can we make it happen tonight?" He asked as the lot of them verbally agreed at almost the same exact time, bringing him to laugh under his breath.

"Well, I guess that settles that then. We will start to bring down our equipment ASAP." Geoff replied as he looked back to Margaret with a satisfied grin. "But, I do have one predicament; one of our suits is still being reassembled after an extensive overhaul and will likely not be done until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Since trying to land a shuttle in the middle of the battle will obviously be out of the question, do you think you could lend us a hand getting it down should it not be ready to bring down with the others?" He asked as Margaret looked to him with a bout of curiosity. They had plenty of time to reassemble and prepare their fleet for this battle, or she thought so at least.

"Depends. Which mobile suit will need to come down? Something like the guntank will need a shuttle, but if it is one of the other three, there are a few options." She replied bringing Geoff to raise his finger and point at the huddled group of his pilots, singling out Amaury in particular.

"That would be Amaury's Jaeger." He confirmed, peaking Margaret's interest as her eyes widened upon spotting the same one-legged boy she herself had fought against. The machine she had fought against was clearly a high mobility type capable of rivaling even her modern ReZEL despite its age, so if it was the same machine there were multiple options open for it's reentry, ranging from a simple shuttle that would drop it high above the battlefield to more drastic measures; measures that automatically began to form an idea in her head.

This machine and its pilot had been the bane of Tegan's attempts to assert his dominance against the New Republic and she knew just from the attack on the colonies that Tegan would easily become distracted at its presence, and if it were to suddenly appear out of thin air it would serve as not only a deadly tool in the Cerberus' end but as a weapon of pure shock and terror as well.

"Oh, I'm sure I can find something. We will discuss this further but in the meantime we shall begin bringing your suits down here to the same airfield you all landed at earlier. From there they will be trucked over here and prepared for tomorrow's fight." She responded with a grin before turning back towards the group as a whole once more. "Thoses shuttles have already set back out for your carrier so there really isn't much to be done here until they return, so for the time being feel free to relax or even get something to eat. We might not have much, but I assure you that it is good and more importantly, warm." Margaret added as Geoff laughed.

"Yeah, that's the most important part out here guys. Don't let the chill set into your bones; stay warm and keep your exposure outside light, especially as the night goes on. And don't stay up too late exploring, tomorrow will be a long day… everyone has to be ready. Dismissed."

Watching as the other soldiers around them began to file out of the command tent to go about their decided business Geoff turned to Margaret with a grin. "Seems like at least mother nature is on your side in this whole thing, huh?" He questioned as Pierce scoffed at his attempted joke, pulling a small canteen from under her coat as she did so.

"It would seem so. Could have used that old bitch's help a week ago when we were retaking Cordova inch by bloody inch." Margaret replied, pulling the top from her canteen and taking a swig of the contents inside, though immediately Geoff could tell whatever it was, it wasn't water.

"Never took you for a drinker, at least while on duty. Shobridge was a different story however; did that come with the promotion too?" He chuckled, once again poking fun at the women who this time scowled, using her already sour face from the taste of the whiskey on her tongue to make it all the more sarcastic.

"No, that came with Tegan's bullets in my arm. The pain medication they prescribed me was making me too groggy and miserable according to the counselor, but if I don't have anything the effect is twice as worse. At least with the liquor I can manage myself. Don't worry, I'm not drinking heavily… at least not while I am technically 'on duty'. Not like it would matter however, as I'm still barred from piloting. Wouldn't do me any good anyway… can't accelerate or aim worth a shit with this busted-ass arm of mine." She replied as Geoff's smile slowly disappeared, feeling a bit of concern for his former friend and lover.

As he had noticed during their visit to the New Republic, Margaret's usually witty and sarcastic demeanor seemed to have shrunk and while he couldn't exactly know for sure if it was because of Tegan, it sure seemed so. "Don't worry about flying, we will take care of that." He replied in a calm, collected voice while reaching out for the canteen in her hands which he promptly took a drink of upon receiving.

"Guah. Yep, that's the… _good_ stuff. Did the counselor give that to you, or did you pull that out of the propellant tank on a mobile suit?" He groaned as he too grimaced at the harsh taste, his face bringing Margaret a small grin.

"Straight from Dorian's desk. He only likes them well aged and fine. Can't say I agree, however." Captain Pierce noted as Geoff capped the canteen once more and handed it back to her, his eyes focusing on her arm as he did so.

"Must be why he finds himself interested in you then." He remarked causing her dark eyes to dart up his in surprise.

"First off, that was a _shitty_ pick up line, if that's what that even was. That why it was always Monty who got the women, not you. And second, Dorian and I's relationship is purely professional; nothing else." She replied in a stern voice as Geoff laughed and rolled his eyes in disbelief, further annoying the already perturbed woman.

"If you say so. But speaking of _purely professional_ , I'm thinking of checking out this mess hall of yours. We got stuck with a rookie cooking crew on the flight over here and let's just say the food was… less than good. Care to join me? You know, for old time's sake?" Geoff asked as Pierce stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Sure. Am I going to have to pay for us both, just for old time's sake?" She mocked, bringing the man to her side to laugh once more. "Nah, I was broke back then, but I've found myself on a fairly more stable rock nowadays." Geoff responded as he opened the door to the command tent and waited for Pierce to step outside before allowing it to close.

Returning to her side as they began to walk towards the mess tent Geoff spotted a glimpse of someone walking to his side and looked towards it, watching as both Carina and Amaury walked hand in hand towards the far end of the base alone. Seeing the same thing, Margaret looked to her companion for a moment before returning to the couple. "Where they are going?" She questioned as Geoff turned back around and resumed walking.

"Who knows." He replied as the finished making their way to the mess tent; Geoff once again holding the opening for his injured friend before allowing it to close. "Kind crowded. Guess-" He began to say out loud moments before his ears were pierced by a familiar yet slightly irritating screech.

"Oh, Geoff! Sit here! HERE!" Tome's voice called out over the man men and woman eating what had to have been a very rewarding and warm dinner, bringing his eyes to look for it's source while Margaret grimaced a bit and did the same.

"What the hell was that?" She questioned as both spotted the mother-to-be as well as his other pilots and a few other staff members, each taking advantage of the free meal that was offered to them. "That would be Tome… you'll get used to it, I promise." He joked as he waved back to silence Tome's mouth as well as her frantically waving hand.

"She isn't going to take no for an answer, so I guess you are eating with the New Republic crew tonight. Don't worry, they don't bite." Colonel Walker added with a grin bringing the already irritable commander of the Federal forces to sigh. "Do I have to?" Margaret questioned aloud making Geoff's grin grow even further.

"Yes. It's good public relations. You should be all about that if you plan to move on to become a politician like the others." He replied with a loud laugh as he made his way between the tables towards the puddle of green uniformes adrift in the sea of grey, looking back to make sure Margaret had followed.

"I see you all wasted no time taking up the offer of free food, eh?" He joked as he neared the table, laughing at the sight of both Marcus and Latty scarfing down whatever soup they had gathered at a nearly disturbing rate, almost as if it was some kind of competition between the two. He never thought it would be possible that he would find someone that matched Marcus' ability to demolish food and couldn't help but wonder if she would be able to match his alcohol intake as well.

Across from him sat Tome and to her side Douglas, much to Geoff's surprise, though he still seemed locked in his sour mood. "I brought a guest with me; ironic since we are guests of her on this planet. I hope you don't mind." He stated out loud as Marcus and Tome shook their heads while Douglas glared up at the two and then back down at the table.

"No, not at all!" Tome chimed as Geoff grinned with a nod. Ignoring Douglas' glare which he understood was caused by his satisfaction in being involved in the Federal war as well as now having to eat with their commander, he motioned for Margaret to sit next to Latty while he crossed to the other side and sat beside Tome.

"Well is it any good, or is it about the same as the food on the ship?" He asked aloud, his eyes looking to Marcus who laughed at the realization he was the one he requested the answer from. "Oh, it's better alright. Chef Mark has improved, but he's still got some time to go." Marcus replied, looking to his woman at his side who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah I have to agree. Nothing here is burned to a crisp." She added, once more causing Geoff to laugh as he recalled hearing of her adamant disapproval of their resident chef's cooking back before the Liberation. "In that case I am glad to hear you will be well fed for tomorrow's mission." Their leader laughed as did some of the others, though Douglas remained unamused; his vision locked to both of their force's commanding officers.

"What time is this going to start?" He blurted out in a rather rude fashion as Margaret's attention closed on him, was Tome who spoke instead. "Not soon enough! I just wish that I could be there to be the one who kicks his ass! God, it pisses me off!" She exclaimed as Marcus shook his head after taking a mouthful of soup in.

"You've got some time left before you can fly again and should be focusing on the little ones, not getting all excited about this fight. Stress is bad for babies! Besides, you had your chance; it's my turn." He mocked playfully as Tome stuck her tongue out at him causing Latty to laugh and almost choke on her food while Pierce turned her attention to the girl he roused. She had noticed the pregnant girl before during their meeting in the New Republic after being told how well she held up in a fight against not only her men but Tegan himself as well, but now based on how she appeared now it was clear how far along she was back then. How did she not know she was with child?

"Marcus is right, you shouldn't get worked up." Douglas said softly under his breath in a noticeably less confrontational tone, once more surprising their commanding officer. His voice didn't portray the same amount of annoyance it had only moments before, implying he was generally concerned for her; a complete turn around that was out of character for the often disobedient pirate. When did he start to care for anyone but himself or Latty?

"I agree. Cool your jets, Tome. You've already done your part." Geoff instructed as once more Pierce's eyes drifted to Douglas. "To answer your question, as soon as we believe sufficient snowfall is occuring to help obscure the battlefield to keep your force's presence hidden. This will more than likely be after eight. We'd like to be ready to move by six however, just incase." She informed the group before redirecting towards Tome.

"I've heard stories about your performance during our attack and Tegan's betrayal. Fighting an ace like him head on in one-on-one combat while having little experience yourself is truly impressive." Pierce continued as Tome grinned, feeling a flush of glory from the praise he was experiencing. "Thank you, Captain Pierce. I had an excellent trainer." The girl responded as Douglas scoffed, crossing his arms as he stared the dark haired woman down.

"That doesn't change the fact that your inability to control that mad man cost the lives of hundreds of thousands civilians and almost took Tome's and those of her children as well." The pirate argued, annoying Geoff in the process. "Petty Officer Kriets, watch yourself." The colonel warned as Douglas looked to him in disgust, though Margaret seemed to be more intrigued than perturbed, narrowing her eyes on the defiant man.

"With concern like that you must be the father of her children and are likely very proud of her abilities, then. Especially being a pilot yourself." Margaret added, instantly causing Marcus to almost spray the soup in his mouth across the table while the others stared at the woman in shock, their jaws nearly on the table.

Seeing the reaction at hand, Pierce looked around to the lot in surprise. "What?" She questioned, looking towards the defiant man to her far right on the other side of the expectant girl; his speechless face expressing anger while his cheeks resembled the shade of tomato-based soup in their bowls.

"What?!" Douglas blurted out as he leaned forward on the table, looking around the equally embarrassed girl between him and the cause of his embarrassment. "Why would you think that?!" He questioned out loud as Pierce's eyes widened. "Well because you seem rather concerned about her. It was just a simple observation. Am I wrong?" She questioned as Douglas took a deep breath out of frustration.

"YES." He replied, looking to Geoff who couldn't help but leak a small whimper of laughter through what had to be the largest grin he had ever formed. "Why are you laughing, I- why doesn't she know?! You told her everything else, why not this?!" He questioned angrily as their leader shrugged.

"I… may had forgotten to make her aware of the situation." He admitted as Douglas huffed loudly, unsure what to do. It took a lot of for him to become this flustered and it had not happened in a long, long time.

Looking to Tome as she stared forward at her soup, he stood from the table and looked to them all before turning to leave. "I'm going to… go help bring the mobile suits down." He huffed, looking to the group for a moment before storming off in silence; the group waiting for him to leave before they all burst out in laughter save for Tome and Latty, the latter of which instead harbored a small grin that withheld some concern at her brother's anguish.

"Shit, I don't think I have ever seen him react like that." Marcus laughed as he looked to latty who shook her head. "He typically doesn't." She replied, looking across the table at Tome who still remained flushed, clearly biting her lip in embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" She questioned as Tome looked up at her and nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry. That was kinda funny." Tome responded with a smile, looking over her shoulder as Douglas disappeared in the distance. Why was so flustered by this? "I'm… sorry? I feel like I'm missing something. Shithead Geoff here didn't tell me anything relevant to your pregnancy. Plenty about you in general, but not a thing about your personal life." Margaret stated as Tome shook her head.

"No, no it's okay. You didn't know. But I can explain if you want." Tome replied before beginning to tell Margaret about Sam as the group calmed down, turning the tide of both the current and following conversations into a sort of meet-and-greet between the Federal Commander and the Zeon forces who each shared their story about how they all came to be one giant family.

With some time to kill before the arrival of the shuttle that would take them back to the _Raditz_ , Carina decided that a walk before the coming storm would be a nice idea to both clear their heads and allow them some time alone together, just incase something should happen that altered their paths together forever. "So, you really like the snow huh? It's much better than the rain in my opinion, though here on Earth even the rain is different than in the colonies." Carina asked as the two leisurely strolled through the falling snow hand in hand, destined for a small hill that overlooked most of the base but still remained within the perimeter.

"I mean, I don't mind the rain. When I was alone there was many nights I spent outside listening to the rain. It was relaxing and despite the chill it brought with the damp air it created it seemed to help me sleep, no matter where I was staying that night." Replied her lover as he looked up at the hazy night sky, still contemplating the white, fluffy substance that fell from the clouds above as a smile formed on Carina's face.

His innocent, curious expression was undoubtedly cute in her eyes, but at the realization that what he meant by 'alone' was during his time as a homeless child wandering the streets of Dresden, she frowned. "Well you don't have to be alone anymore… but I'm more than willing to sit and listen to the rain with you." She replied, bringing Amaury to smile. "I would like that." He whispered back to his blushing bride as they continued to walk, the cold snow falling down on their exposed faces beneath their beanies.

It was quiet on the base despite it's placement at the tip of the former warzone that was the city of Cordova; a silence that was oddly calming. After a moment Carina took a deep breath however. "It's hard to believe that a place as beautiful as this will be the sight of the last battle we fight. At least, I hope it is. This has gone on far too long and I am ready to just be free to live our lives how we want to live them." She said softly as she exhaled, looking up at Amaury as he stared out at two mobile suits on patrol in the distance, hidden only slightly by the slight snowfall.

"It should have ended a long time ago... I should have killed him at Side 3. It would have saved so many lives." The boy remarked with a somber facial expression, bringing Carina to shake her head. "Don't say that, Amaury. It's not your fault, nor is it Tome's or anyone else. Tegan's choices were his own. He almost killed you, babe… I'm just glad he didn't." She smiled, gently squeezing his hand to cause him to do the same.

"Me too. I would have never got to see Earth if he had… nor would I have seen you again, or told you that I loved you." Amaury replied as he stopped to look at her with a small, loving grin that reflected on her own lips. "Yeah, especially since you took so long to say it." The girl joked with a small giggle before pressing her cold lips against his, instantly warming them as he pulled her in closer to himself.

"I'm sorry." He whispered with a chuckle of his own as she pressed her head against his chest. "It was worth the wait." Her reply hummed as she looked up towards the top of the hill they now neared.

It wasn't as steep as she imagined but with the snow it was likely very slippery, making her a bit nervous. Amaury had become quite adept at walking on his prosthetic but he had never tried to walk on such a terrain and did not want him to fall.

"Are you going to be alright climbing the hill? We don't have to go up to the top." She questioned as Amaury looked to the snowy embankment and shook his head. "With your help I think I will be just fine." The boy replied as Carina smiled and agreed, reinforcing her grip on his hand before beginning to slowly make the climb up to the top of the mound, making sure to plan her feet as sturdily as possible with each step.

After a short while the two managed to make it to the top of their destination; Carina stepping up first and pulling Amaury behind her as both of them laughed wildly. He had only slipped and fallen twice on their climb and only once did he drag Carina down into the snow with him. "We made it!" She cried out between her giggles as Amaury laughed, still trying to shake the snow that had made its way down his back during his fall out of his jacket.

"Yup, and I only almost killed us once." He jested as she shook her head to disagree. "Oh stop it; we made it to the top and that is all that matter." She argued, turning towards him and the base they left behind, then up at the sky above where through a break in the snow-filled clouds they could see a glimpse of the well known aurora borealis.

"Look Amaury!" She exclaimed as he too turned and looked up at the sky and was once more treated to something new that he had never seen before. However, unlike snow, the boy knew nothing about this, though he could tell by the smile and excitement in Carina's voice that it was nothing dangerous.

"Wha… what is that?" He questioned out loud as Carina hugged onto his arm; both sets of their eyes locked up as the aurora reflected in them. "It's called aurora borealis. It's a phenomenon that occurs when a strong solar wind disturbs the charged particles of the atmosphere, causing them to discharge. It's really not dangerous, but it sure looks pretty." Carina hummed in an informative manner causing Amaury to look to her for a moment before casting his gaze back out at the sky.

"I've never seen anything like it." He replied before a silence came over them as the stood and took in one of the great natural wonders of their world, made even more special by one another's presence, though a dark cloud continued to linger over Carina's head. This could very well be the last time she saw her Amaury alive. This battle, while slated to be their last, could be so in another way if they were not careful. They had come so far and lost so much already; could they make it through this one last time?

"I love you, my Amaury." She whispered softly, bringing the boy to look to her with a wide, aurora-lit gaze that filled his brown eyes with the brightness above, forcing her grin to reappear. If she had to be forced to live on without him, she was glad that the last time she would see his wondrous smile was in such a memorable way; one that she could easily recall and remember every time she saw or thought of snow. "I love you too, my Carina. More than you could ever imagine."

At his reply Carina closed her eyes and leaned her head against his arm which moved around her back and pulled her into a tight hug to both shelter her from the wind and share their heat together as one.

Feeling his warmth, Carina couldn't help but coo in a loving form to express just how happy she felt in that moment while simultaneously biting her lip to keep herself from asking a question she had thought about quite frequently in the last week or so to distract herself from their woes. She had contemplated bringing the subject up several times but had refrained from doing so to avoid possibly freaking Amaury out, though she knew that was as unlikely as could be given her understanding of his love for her.

However, given their situation teetering on the precepit of a final victory or unrepairable defeat, there seemed like there would be no better time than now, and if he were to leave this life forever she knew her unanswered question would haunt her every day until she was reunited with him in the afterlife.

"Amaury, I… have a question." She asked softly, lifting her head up to the boy to stare into his eyes as he cocked his head slightly to the side with the same lingering smile across his lips. "You know that you could ask me anything, babe." He replied as she once more bit her lip and felt her cheeks growing darker than they already were in the declining temperature.

"This might sound silly, but, um… what would you want to name our… c-children?" She finally asked, catching him off guard by her simple yet deeply intimate question. "Our children?" He asked out of nervous response, to which she nodded embarrassingly.

"Y-Yeah, I… seeing Tome and hearing how happy she is preparing for the twins, I just started thinking about it one day and… I w-want to know incase…" She began to explain as he shook his head ever so slightly to stop her, knowing why she was asking and not wanting those thoughts to plague her mind anymore than they already were. What _would_ he want to name their children? It had been their dream to have a family for some time now and while he thought about raising a family with her often, he never really thought about names. Names often held some sort of meaning and from what he understood even his name was homage to his family bloodline.

"If… if we have a boy… Armin. Do you like that name?" He whisper in reply as Carina smiled. "Named after your father? Of course I do, babe. Armin… Armin Dietrich." The girl replied with a rosy smile, made even deeper now but subtle thoughts of holding a little baby boy in her arms.

"But what about for a girl?" She questioned in turn, although much to her surprise he shook his head. "It's your turn." He joked as she pouted and leaned her head against him in thought. Unlike Amaury she didn't have any name in mind immediately, but after a moment she recalled one in particular that stuck out in her memory.

"What about Emma? I always really like that name for some reason… Emma Dietrich." Carina stated softly as Amaury smiled. "Emma is a beautiful name." The boy replied, squeezing her tighter against himself to express the happiness filling his heart though she could already sense it.

"Really? You like Emma?" She questioned as she looked up at him answering with a subtle nod. "It's perfect… but are you sure you aren't trying to tell me something?" He responded with a small laugh, turning Carina even darker as she giggled and once again rested her head against him.

"No, no, I swear. Not yet, but soon Amaury. Soon we will be free to make our dream come true." She hummed lovingly before they both looked up above at the aurora borealis, now less visible as the approaching storm began to encroach on the opening in the clouds.

Shifting in front of him so that they could both turn to face the illuminated sky, she placed his hands around her waist and looked up, kissing him once again under the northern lights. There was still milestones they had yet to achieve before that day, but she couldn't deny that the fact that their little dreams having names of their own made her wish for them to come sooner than later; a wish that would need to wait a little while longer if she was to give them and Amaury the life they deserved. "Soon."


	43. Chapter 43: Snowblind

From the cover of a reinforced concrete structure a Confederation officer peaked, keeping as much of himself concealed as possible as he looked out at the new crater filled runway that divided Cordova Base. For nearly an hour they had remained hidden in as sturdy as structure himself and a large group of soldiers could find, doing their best to stay out of the way of the relentless rain of incoming artillery shells that tore through the falling snow. Much of the base's structures were designed to resist this type of heavy punishment, but the equipment and personnel outside of these bunkers were not so lucky.

Several artillery rounds had already destroyed a patrolling GM III on the runway as well as other armored vehicles around it, not including those standing around them at the time. "How much longer?" A voice called out from behind him, bringing the officer to look back at the group of nearly twenty soldiers and pilots behind him, all of which were both anxious and a bit shocked by the gall of the Federal attack.

"Any second… they are firing in a tight sequence. If my calculations are correct, we should have an opening here any second..." He began, pulling himself behind the half open door of the bunker as a round landed before them on the runway, spraying the building with debris while simultaneously proving his theory. "Now. Go now!" The officer called out, kicking the door open and running out into the smoking crater while urging his soldiers to follow.

"Fucking go! Go! Make for the hangars and don't stop! Admiral Trevelyn wants us up and running ASAP!" He screamed as the wave of dark uniforms stormed out of the bunker into oncoming artillery fire, dashing as fast as humanly possible towards the hangars while from the other side Tegan watched, standing between the two heavy, blast resistant hangar doors.

These would be just another group of his men who were brave enough to make the run across the hostile runway to their suits as ordered, desperately trying to scramble to resist the incoming fire, and with them they would have the manpower to effectively do so. He too found the Federation's attack rather odd; why would they want to provoke their end?

It was highly unlikely that they had requested reinforcement for if they had they would have surely heard something by now. Was this a sign of their desperation or maybe an over ambitious plan to steamroll into Cordova? Or could it be some form of elaborate trap, though it remained unclear how they could be the one's formulating a trap given their situation.

Regardless of what Pierce had planned they had little choice but to respond to the attack. Even with their base as well constructed and fortified as it was it could not survive forever under such a sustained bombardment, and given Pierce's connection to Wright it was unlikely that her forces was lacking in supply for the guns that currently peppered their positions, leaving them little choice but to scramble their forces out towards the city once more.

"Here comes another group. This should give us what we need to form a retaliation force; everyone prepare to roll out." The Cerberus called out on his headset as they approached, turning around to face the incomplete Zeta Stein behind him, still missing it's left arm as well as several crucial pieces of the suit's core armor. He had hoped that they could have avoided any form of conflict long enough to unleash this super weapon upon their foes but it seemed that fate had unfortunately chosen another path for them.

That did not ease his anger however, believing that the machine would have certainly been finished had it not been for Hashmir's insistence that half of his team work on the Stein while the other continued work on the Mutant Ez-8. "Doctor Hashmir," Tegan began to dictated angrily for all those around him to hear, including the doctor who stood at the suit's feet. "I'm assuming that you were able to at least finish _one_ of the mobile suits you swore would be operational, correct?"

Hearing the annoyance in his leader's voice, Hashmir swallowed nervously and turned to face the approaching man, a bit hesitant to look him in the eye. Unlike most of the other personnel who made up the Confederation's forces Doctor Hashmir had known Tegan before this all occurred and could remember his sometimes harsh attitude right through his charistic facade, leading him to handle the coming conversation with a bit of finesse.

"Yes Tegan, the Ez-8 is operational as promised and awaiting your command in Hangar 3." Hashmir stated as he came face to face with the Cerberus who's tall, thin frame stood slightly higher than his own, harboring an unpleasant smile across his face. "How long is it going to take to get the Stein operational?" He questioned, cutting right to his point as his eyes once more narrowed on the machine above, to which Hashmir sighed.

"A bit longer. I'd say about an hour tops." He replied as Tegan's scowl continued. That seemed to be roughly the same answer he had received from their maintenance crews about everything these days and it was an answer he was sick of hearing. "Make it so. If for some reason the fighting pulls closer to Cordova, we are going to need it." The cerberus commanded as he turned towards the blast door that lead between Hangar 3 and Hangar 4 to find the machine he was forced to use. He would make due, but depending on what Margaret had in store for him it might not be enough. They needed their trump card.

Making his way to the Ez-8 now painted a dull white to match the rest of the Cerberus mobile suits in their snowy environment, Tegan looked to his right noticed his right hand man Corey approaching rather quickly to his side, though he did not stop to greet him until the pilot called to him directly.

"Admiral Trevelyn, sir!" Corey yelled towards the Cerberus, forcing him to stop in his tracks and turn towards him."Lieutenant Winters. I am glad you've made it through the barrage unscathed thus far." Tegan responded in a calm yet unassuming tone, though the concerned look on his subordinates face made it clear that he like many of their men was concerned about the Federal aggression.

"So far." Core replied as he stopped to take a breather following the long run from Hangar 1 after bringing in his Hygogg for refueling and replenishment of it's ammunition stores. "I see we are under attack." The lieutenant replied leading Tegan to look around at the other pilots scrambling to their suits, letting a small chuckle escape his lips. "It would appear so. Didn't expect that when you set out hunting this morning, did you?" Tegan laughed, though Corey didn't quite find the humor given the grave situation they found themselves in for even he knew that their base would not be able to sustain such thick ordinance forever.

"I'm assuming you are taking a squadron out after their guns, correct?" The lieutenant questioned to which Tegan nodded, but before he could speak Corey once again spoke. "Let me come with you. I'm better at piloting this Hygogg than a Jegan or a Jesta, but I can still fight well in either of those machines." He requested as the Cerberus turned back to him, locking eyes to the boy for a moment or two in silence.

"Have you finished clearing out the submarines?" Tegan asked, bringing Corey to shake his head. "No, but given the situation, can't-" He began to ask if he could put his mission on hold before stopping at Tegan's shake of his head. He knew what the boy was going to ask well before his words left his mouth, knowing that if their roles were reversed he too would be asking the same thing, and as such prepared to deliver the response he would have expected to hear in turn.

"Then I'm afraid I am going to have to deny that request, Lieutenant. Your specialties and skills are needed elsewhere." The Cerberus replied as he resumed his walk towards his mobile suit. As he walked however he could feel his subordinate in tow behind him, prompting him to stop suddenly as Corey began to speak.

"With all do respect sir, something about this isn't right. If they didn't think they could handle us they wouldn't provoke us with this barrage. There must be a trap or… something waiting out there. If you are going to ride into the snowblind without so much as a clue as to what you are dealing with you are going to need your best pilots, and not to toot my own horn, but I know I am one of them." He stated, creating another silence that lingered between them for a moment or two before his leader sighed.

"I know I've told you this before Corey, but I will say it again. Our fate, our success, hell, even the future of Earth as a whole rests on your shoulders. Even now as we are apparently besieged by our foe your task still remains the most important of anyone's in the entire Confederation. Without a route to the sea we will never receive the reinforcement we so desperately need nor will we have any route to evacuate out to sea should we be forced to do so, and I fear that our allies will only be able to remain hidden from the Federation's view for so long before they too are hunted or surrender their will to save our world." Tegan began to explain as he looked over his shoulder towards Corey, the sincere meaning behind his words clear and present across his face.

"Without your success below the waves our rebellion holds no certain future and without that certainty our men will slowly lose hope. With their hope will wither away their desire to fight and once that happens there will be no more Cerberus Confederation; no hope of freedom from the current regime's oppressive and corrupt weight and no hope that the Federation will remain pure. I hope you understand that I am not excluding you to punish you in any way, shape or form, Corey. You and that Hygogg are the linchpin keeping the Cerberus dream alive and afloat. This is why we need you to continue and why we need you to succeed." The Cerberus continued forcing Corey to cringe and look down at the hard metal below them, both from his leader's denial of his request and the remainder of the importance of his assignment.

What good would an opening be to the sea if their leader and most of their forces were killed prior to their escape? Tegan's leadership was what had brought them success thus far in this war, could their revolution continue without him?

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Corey's eyes returned to Tegan. "I understand, sir. I will clear us a way to the sea. I swear." He replied, forming a smile across his leader's face as his metal arm reached over and patted the boy on his back. "I know you will, Corey. Stay safe out there. We will return soon." The Cerberus replied before resuming his ascension to the Ez-8's cockpit above, all the while Corey's eyes remaining locked to his leader until he could no longer see him at which he too turned and returned to his mobile suit, raring to complete his task.

Watching as the first of his Cerberus mobile suits came online and made their way out of the hangar Tegan slid down into the Ez-8's cockpit, a bit difficult to accomplish with his false arm due to the entrance being above the pilot's seat as opposed to in front of it.

Wasting no time to complain, he reached over the ignition panel of the mobile suit and turned it's reactor over causing all of the various controls and screens to illuminate the relatively dark cockpit and linked his headset to the suit's communications system.

"All mobile suits departing the safety of the hangars, don't stop on the tarmac. Clear the airstrip and the defensive premier and await further instruction in the frozen plains." He instructed as he looked over the Mutant's controls and instruments in disgust.

For being a high performance mobile suit it certainly seemed antiquated when compared to the Zeta Stein's psycommu control system, but at least Hashmir was kind enough to ensure that the machine recieved a more modern panoramic system compared to the old type the machine had to have been originally equipped with.

Buckling himself into the seat and pulling his helmet onto his head over his headset, he engaged the machine's manipulators and broke its static pose, walking out into the hangar's central mobile suit lane while checking over the weapons that the ground crew had assigned him.

Much to his relief they were in possession of at least a few beam rifles despite their increasing scarcity and it seemed he was even able to get the modernized version most often issued to Jesta suits as well as three beam sabers; one in the left forearm and two in the machine's power pack while built into the chest was an additional vulcan gun to defense.

Also stored in the back was a set of electro-cables capable of wrapping onto a mobile suit and shocking the machine, causing it to overheat and temporarily shut suit even managed to incorporate two, three round grenade racks in the hips and the thruster capability to not only keep up with the other suits but surpass them exponentially; impressive considering its gigantic minovsky reactor.

"Maybe the old man was right. Maybe this machine wasn't such a bad idea." He said to himself with a smirk as the machine's trademark gundam eyes ignited red, showing the true power inside of the relic as he began to charge his thrusters and approach the wide open bunker doors. This would be a simple strike against their artillery, but if it turned out this was a trap, he would ensure that Pierce's men would never be able to do so again.

"Watch out." He warned through the Mutant's speakers as he shifted the thruster power higher and shot from the hangar and out onto the tarmac in hover mode, spinning to avoid an artillery strike as he did so before shifting past a group of self propelled artillery vehicles beginning to set up to provide counter-battery support. It had been some time since he truely operated a mobile suit under gravity and while it was expectively more restrictive than flying in space he had grown fond of the feeling and missed it.

Following the other scrambling mobile suits through the open gate of the base's large concrete walls, Tegan looked around at the near whiteout conditions around them, knowing that this would be a close quarters battle regardless of where they engaged their enemy. "Alright everyone, listen up. The objective will be to destroy the Federal artillery batteries at their forward operating base southeast of Cordova. I'm not going to lie to you all, I am not entirely fond of this move, but we have little choice but to respond." He called out as he neared the group of rallying mobile suits just outside of their battered defensive line, counting nearly twelve mobile suits from their base that had been launched so far.

"Captain Altavilla, did you make it out?" He called across their radio to which a man laughed heartily. "Yes sir, they didn't kill me yet!" The pilot replied, bringing Tegan to grin. "Alright, good. Captain take three suits and scout ahead. We need to know if their are enemy MS lurking out in this storm. I find it highly unlikely that the Federation would attempt to attack even with their current advantage but Captain Pierce is a rather ambitious commander, so be on the lookout for any sign of ambush. I feel like there is something planned for us that we do not yet see. Copy?" Tegan instructed to his scouting party who once again laughed in reply.

"Roger that! Stopanski, Andrews; on me! Let's go find us some pigs!" The captain called out, boosting ahead of the rest of the column; their sensor signals lost a short time later from the intensity of snow storm at hand. "The rest of you stay close and stay alert. Don't get separated." Tegan ordered, increasing his thrust until he reached the moderate speed of the Jegans and other assorted mobile suits in formation around him.

As her plan intended the Federal forces were awoken from their slumber early in preparation of the coming battle. Almost immediately all non-combat personnel were evacuated to the rear command post established at the heart of the city of Cordova including most of the medical staff as well as those involved in logistics and the mechanical division, making room for the five individual batteries that would be raining down hellfire to set up shop.

As the key component to their operation moved into position so did the rest of their forces, with infantry and other mobile weapons forming up on the previously reinforced wall a short distance in front of their field guns while the remaining Federal mobile suits scattered out before them, intending to draw the brunt of the Cerberus response team towards them while supported by the others. Divided into five, two man teams, the remaining Jegans of Captain Pierce's 2nd Fleet spread out evenly across their line while in the center but slightly behind the others were Latty and Douglas who would be operating as their own team based on their role as primarily mid to long range support suits.

Both pilot's machines were covered over with camouflage nets designed to perfectly mimic the windswept snow in an effort to better hide their position from the advancing enemies until it was too late while Douglas' was held in reserve as it's superior speed would allow it to quickly move into any gap in their line that occurred as well as give chase in the event of Tegan's retreat.

With Amaury and his Jaeger still in low orbit aboard their mothership Douglas would be the only machine truly capable of this task, though to both Geoff and Margaret than man seemed more than capable in his role.

Much to Captain Pierce's dismay Counselor Wright insisted that she not be present at the frontline and that she fall back to the command post in the inner city, but after much complaining she was granted permission to operate a mobile command vehicle to the rear of the line as a compromise; the Type 88 Hover Truck.

Heavily designed and based off of the proven Type 74 Hover Truck of the One Year War, the Type 88 was an overall improvement developed for use on Earth in times of political unrest and, should it ever come to their doorsteps again, war. It featured modern communications and command equipment as well as a much more powerful hover system to aid in their escape should the situation deteriorate.

From here Pierce, here command staff as well as Geoff could easily coordinate the battle's flow, though the New Republic Colonel would much rather have played an active role in the battle despite his own mobile suit's intended use being primarily for space. Knowing that Tegan would not give up the relative safety of his fortified locations to come after a few artillery pieces laying down harassing fire Pierce ordered all five battery commanders to keep it coming and make it count, and at about seven the next morning they began to relentlessly pound Cordova base with high yield 300mm artillery shells capable of immense damage.

"Hold steady. Ignore their counter-battery fire." Pierce instructed as rounds form the Cerberus' fortress struck randomly around them, likely because of the disarray their own strike had caused. Over the course of an hour the batteries continuously fired over and over again, stopping only to load another round and to correct their gun's trajectory as their allies sat idle and anxiously awaited the imminent Cerberus retaliation, but it wasn't until nearly eight thirty that they began to see signs of their foe.

"Ma'am, a probe in the field has been triggered." One of Pierce's command staff called out from her seat at the sensor station near the back of their command vehicle, prompting their leader to walk towards the screen as Geoff followed quickly behind. "Where? How many?" She questioned as the screen before them zoomed in on the green and black render of the plains, showing three pings at the probe furthest away from their position, though the activation of the next few sensors in line showed their movement towards them from the southeast.

"Three ma'am. The probe that was triggered was the unit closest to their defenses, so about nine miles out. They are fast movers and gain quickly. Several other mobile suits are now appearing at the original probe location but at a much lower rate of speed. Looks like nine more… but I can't say for certain." The woman added as Pierce grinned. It would appear that Tegan was falling for their trap after all, though she knew he would have little choice but to do something to stop the storm of shrapnel falling on their heads.

Reaching up to headset she wore overtop her dark hair she pulled down the microphone attached to it and unmuted herself. "Everyone listen up. The sensor probes we dropped last week are finally starting to pick up some movement and we've got three unknown type suits heading towards us at high speed and about nine more following behind. Remember that we need to draw them in as close as possible; there is no way that these suits are the only ones that Tegan is going to send to silence our artillery and we don't want to spook the others before they are out of engagement distance. Does everyone understand?" She question over their channel as the various unit commanders began to reply, bringing Geoff to do the same over their own channel.

"Marcus, Latty, Douglas; did you copy that?" He asked, looking to Margaret as he awaited a reply. The New Republic mobile suits were tuned in to both their channel as well as the Federal frequency and vice versa, but for ease of coordinating the defense it was decided to allow Geoff to be the primary liaison between his forces on the ground, those still in space and those belonging to Pierce.

"Yeah, yeah we hear you. Can't hit them until they get closer anway. Even with this new rifle the storm is creating major interference, both in my optics and my sensors." Marcus complained as Geoff laughed. "That was the plan, remember?" The colonel laughed, bringing Marcus to shake his head as from the corner of his eye he watched the guntank's yellow optical sensor darken to hide its locations better while at the same time aiming both of her howitzers forward towards the projected path of their foes.

The enemy mobile suits heading towards them would be all but blind thanks to the snow as far as their infrared sensors were concerned and would be relying on a combination of visual line of sight as well, meaning it was in their best interest to create as little light as possible. "Good idea Lat." The Zakum's pilot stated as he the same to which Latty laughed. "Yeah, I sometimes have those."

"Here they come, they are at the last sensor!" One of the Federal Jegan pilots called out as the vanguard of three incoming mobile suits made their way towards their line, forming into a sort of arrowhead formation as they did so, bringing everyone listening to tighten their grips on their controls and narrow their vision forward.

"Alright everyone, remember what I said. hold your fire until I give the order." Pierce once more commanded, tuning into the visual feed from one of her Jegans as their foes approached. "Data from the suits indicates they are likely GM III's. Based on speed alone, I would have to agree." Their sensor operator added as the battleline raised their suits weapons onto the three enemies moving towards them in preparation to fire; their trigger fingers becoming ever the more itchy with each yard the enemy gained.

"Now ma'am?" One of the Federal pilots questioned out loud as Pierce's eyes remained locked to the screen before her. "Not yet. Hold. Hold..." She warned, gripping the back of the seat that she was holding onto as tightly as possible as she did so. Over and over she told their forces to hold until she suddenly spotted the lights on the approaching mobile suit as well as the glow of their visors, at which point her repetitive order broke away from its norm.

"Now, fire!" She ordered loudly just as the enemy suits came into full view a little over three hundred yards away from the line; the same time the Cerberus recon team took notice go what exactly was waiting for them.

"Shit, evade!" Captain Altavilla called out across their radio in panic as his eyes spotted the line of guns waiting for him, opening fire on the Federal troops just as the enemy line did the same, unleashing a fire storm of machine gun fire that lit up the darkened snowy sky like fireworks and forced the three GM IIIs to scatter and take extremely evasive maneuvers to avoid destruction.

Forced into a purely defensive role by the sheer amount of fire coming from the Federal line that had been all but invisible to them prior to them running into it, Captain Altavilla boosted backwards in a zigzag pattern as he and his two wingmen returned fire.

"Admiral Trevelyn, do you copy?" The captain of the recon division called back, receiving a rather broken reply in return. "Barley, but enough. Go ahead Adriano." The static replied as Altavilla dodged a large caliber shot from the guntank, which despite having gone weapons-free still remained hidden from his sight.

"You were right to expect an ambush; I've got an entrenched Federal position just south of where their basecamp was set up. Prepare to copy enemy force estimation. One-zero Jegan 89D-type mobile suits, approximately zero-nine Type-61A5 as well as-" The captain began to report, watching as from the corner of his eye another of the high caliber round flew from the darkness and struck the GM III piloted by Private Stopanski, sheering it's left leg from its body and severely damaging the other, causing it to fall down into the snow below.

"Shit, Stopanski is down. Andrews, get in there and provide cover fire!" He ordered before moving to do the same while firing his long-barrelled 90mm machine gun at the nearest Jegan in the process. "What the hell was that thing?!" The pilot identified as Andrews questioned as he circled around the disabled but still firing GM III, trying to draw fire from the damaged suit as did so.

Curious to find out himself, Altavilla followed in Andrew's path, raising his shield up to protect the main torso of his mobile suit as he did so. "I'm not sure, but we have to find out." He replied to his wingman's question, boosting forward to try baiting whatever the machine firing on them to do so once more, though his eyes grew wide as from the distance he spotted a green glow heading towards them.

"Andrews watch!" The Captain exclaimed as through the snow emerged a neon beam of energy that nearly struck the pilot, tearing through his shield and piercing through Private Stopanski's, causing the pilot to emit a bloody scream that fell silent shortly after and was replaced with the sound of the GM's destruction, lighting up the snowy sky with the large fireball that ensued.

"Alex!" Andrews screamed out in shock as their captain watched from his machine, angrily grinding his teeth as both he and Private Andrews boosted back away from the enemy line to regroup; the shots they fired on their retreat striking and destroying the head of an entrenched Jegan, causing it fall to the snow on all fours without proper vision while a barrage of there hip-stored missiles damaged another.

"What's going on out there Altavilla?" Tegan questioned through the lessening static, listening to the events unfolding through their open microphone to which the Cerberus in confusion.

"They've got some kind of heavy support mobile suit… possibly a sniper as well. Something hit and destroyed Private Stopanski's GM with a beam weapon beyond our sight line." Adriano called back, surprising the quickly approaching Cerberus as he did so.

"Snipers and heavy support? As far as our intelligence saw those types of units were absent from our battles so far. Could they have received reinforcement from another division?" Tegan questioned as several rounds from the Federal machine guns struck Altavilla's GM, shaking him violently within the cockpit and furthering his anger.

"Its hard to fucking tell. They are keeping us far enough away from their line to conceal whatever it was." He replied as Tegan's eye focused forward on his panels. It would still be close to four minutes before they arrived at the frontline and despite the desperate need to destroy the Federal artillery batteries there was still plenty of time to turn around should there indeed be an overwhelming force waiting for them on the other side of that line.

"Captain Altavilla it is imperative we understand just what we are dealing with here to avoid us walking straight into a fatal trap. Is there anyway you can make it closer to get a positive ID on what it is they are hiding?" Tegan questioned as he looked to the eight mobile suits that gathered around him, leaving a small gap of silence between the two of them.

Captain Altavilla understood what Tegan was asking of him; to do what was necessary to scout the Federal presence, even if it meant commencing on a kamikaze run to get it. This was the unofficial understanding of a recon unit's duty and with the success or failure of their rebellion hanging in the balance, he knew what needed to be done. "We'll get it done. Andrews, lets go!" Altavilla replied, re-adjusting his shield to better offer frontal protection as he did so, speeding straight towards the enemy line with his weapon at the ready.

"Here they come again!" Marcus called out as he levelled his rifle, relying on his infrared targeting optics to spot the two suits as they wildly swerved left and right towards and away from each other to avoid becoming easy targets. "Are they charging straight at us?" A Federal pilot questioned as his partner to his side reloaded his weapon ahead of the two rushing suits.

"They must be insane." The other stated as Pierce switched to their visual feed, showing the two suits in the disrupted distance as well as their sensor signal from the units at the front. What would they hope to accomplish be charging towards them? Were they going to try and break through to destroy the artillery? Or were they probing their defenses for a weak spot?

Suddenly Margaret's eyes widened and the woman slammed her fist into the console before, startling Geoff at her side as she did so. "They are trying to find out what's shooting at them, stop them! If they see the New Republic suits and report it to the others, they will retreat back to Cordova!" Pierce warned as Geoff grunted in annoyance. Given Tegan's slippery traits it seemed highly plausible that this could indeed be the man's plan.

"Marcus, Latty, did you hear that?" He questioned as Marcus scoffed, opening fire with his beam rifle. "Way ahead of you." The sniper replied, growling under his breath as both Altavilla and Andrews shifted to avoid the incoming beam and continued to speed right towards them. "What's the matter Markie, a little flustered?" Latty hummed in an affection tone as she too fired on the approaching enemies in tandem with the numerous Jegans around her, receiving a bit more a success as both of her high-yield shells struck the trailing GM III's shield and tore both it and the left arm which held it from the suit, prompting the pilot inside to begin firing on them with his machine gun.

"Damn you Federal dogs!" He screamed, striking and destroying a Type-61 tank and killing several infantry before moving his attention on to a nearby Jegan, only to be struck with a hail of incoming 90mm fire that withered down his suit's armor, tearing through to the internal components and causing the suit to stumble and falter into the snow at high speed; it's cockpit block ejecting into the snow and rolling violently until sliding to a stop off in the distance.

Seeing the loss of his final wingman Captain Altavilla snarled under his breath. It seemed that the Federal pilots they had spent months repelling were doing much better at defending than attacking; an unfortunate twist for both he and his two wingmen to discover.

"Come on you son of a bitch… show me where you are at so I can get a good fucking look at you!" He mumbled to himself as he now received the full attention of the Federal forces, making the best use out of his shield as possible to deflect the incoming machine gun fire for as long as it would hold. Spotting the green glow from beyond the front line again Adriano swerved to his left, firing at another Jegan and the infantry and tanks below as he dodged.

"There's one…" He huffed just before his suit warned of an incoming round. His computer system highlighting it on his screen, the skilled pilot dodged yet again as well as saw where exactly where the howitzer shot was coming from. "And there's the other!" He exclaimed with glee as he slammed into a Jegan that stood to oppose him, knocking it over and shooting it in the cockpit to finish it off as he crossed the Federal line towards the suits in question.

"Show me who you are, little mouse!" Adriano taunted, looking sharply to his left as his GM warned him of yet another enemy; this one hidden from his sight by both his rage as well as the snow. "What?!" He gasped as Douglas and his Dubisar rammed into him at full speed, knocking him off course from his destination while spinning to sever both legs from the GM with his heat rod; the now amputee suit crashing to the ground below as infantry scattered from beneath its path.

Slamming into the back of his seat with a harsh impact, Adriano lifted his weapon to instantly strike out at the newcomer but before he could even fire a single shot the barrel of the weapon was bent in half by the enemy's hand and the gun was thrown away to the side, far from the Federal captain's reach.

"I don't think so!" Douglas instructed, pressing his suit's foot to the GM's mangled legs while from below the pilot inside looked up in shock. "A Dom? Where the hell did…" He questioned out loud before his eyes locked to the emblem displayed across the suit's left shoulder; an emblem that should they never had been shown picture of by their leader they would have never knew what it stood for.

"Admiral, it's them!" Captain Altavilla shouted into their communications network as he frantically began to shoot his GM's head vulcan's up at the Dom Tropen standing above him who blocked its monoeye from damage with it's left forearm.

"Who? Who is Adriano? Who came to reinforce them?" Tegan questioned with an anxious grunt as the calamity of Altavilla's last defense echoed through their channel. They were still nearly three minutes away and if this was to be his loyal servant's last transmission, he needed to make sure he understood it loud and clear.

"Adriano, answer me dammit!" He growled angrily as on the Federal end Pierce's team successfully hacked into the Cerberus' encrypted channel, alerting them to the fact that the enemy suit was relaying crucial information back to his commander.

"Douglas he's telling Tegan we are here, take him out!" Geoff instructed, prompting Douglas to lift his heat rod in the air to spear the GM through it's cockpit; the pilot below lifting his suit's arm up in a futile attempt to defend himself as the blade came down. "THE NEW REP-" He called before being disintegrated by the extreme heat of Douglas' weapon, filling the channel with static as Tegan's eyes widened as far as they could in disgust.

Captain Altavilla didn't need to finish his statement for him to understand what he meant; the New Republic of Zeon was there on Earth, fighting alongside the Federal government they were trying their damndest to overthrow.

"T-Those bastard… h-how could they let supporters of Zeon ever set foot on our planet. How could they…" He snarled through gnashing teeth as his hands trembled, rattling the controls in his hands.

This was a crime beyond forgiveness. He could forgive those who fell for the false hope of peace and allowed themselves to be misguided by politicians and liars, but this… this was the betrayal of every man, woman and child who ever fell victim to the bloodlust and warmongering of the Spacenoids!

In his rage Tegan had not noticed the call of one of his soldiers who was requesting instructions, causing him to snap at the sudden mention of his name through their network. "What?!" He snarled as the pilot of the machine next to him recoiled, watching their leader through their comms patch snap to his image in anger as he did so.

"W-What are your orders, sir? Should we turn back since it is clearly a trap?" He questioned as Tegan's eyes raised to him and stayed locked there for a second or two before returning his gaze to the screen before them.

When he first broke from the Federation's path at the battle for the New Republic's colonies he knew that the decisions he made would follow him forever, but he never imagine that those he failed to kill that day would make the journey home with him, threatening everything he had worked so hard for. If he let them make themselves at home on his planet what more damage would they cause? Who else would they kill? His mother? What about his brothers and sisters; that boy had already taken one, would he take them all? That boy… Amaury, the Green Demon. Was he there too? Had he come to destroy the Earth as well?!

"Admiral?" The voice questioned once more, again snapping Tegan from his thoughts as the Cerberus teary eyes looked to his weapons panel and activated every bit of ordinance he had at his disposal.

"No, do not retreat. We will fight them and we will kill them, here in this very field. We will end this; once and for all!" He ordered as he boosted forward at maximum speed, prepared to kill every last one himself in order to save Earth from damnation if he must.

Hearing the Cerberus pilot's last words Margaret growled out in anger. "Fuck!" She exclaimed before storming over to their radar station while outside Douglas pulled his heat rod from the destroyed GM III's cockpit, looking around at his fellow soldiers as he did so. "Did I get him in time?" He questioned out loud to which Geoff sighed.

"No, its doesn't seem so. He definitely tipped Tegan off to our presence." The colonel replied, leaving Douglas to grunt in anger as Pierce came to a stop behind the soldier operating their sensors, leaning between her and another soldier to look at the screen herself. "Is he turning back!? Are Tegan's suits returning to their base?!" She immediately began to question as the soldier looked to the screen and shook her head.

"N-No ma'am they are still coming. In fact… the seem to be increasing speed!" She warned as Marcus laughed, having heard the woman's words through Geoff's headset. "He must be fucking insane… we have the fortified ground. They'll be slaughtered!" He scoffed as Pierce's eyes traced the dots moving towards them, each one spreading from each other to form a large sweeping line of nine suits.

Nine suits would be hard pressed to defeat their superior number of now eleven if they were piloted by novices, but these Cerberus pilots were widely the opposite, and their leader was far more intelligent than she had originally assumed the first time they met.

There was no way that Tegan would walk into a trap like this without an angle or a plan, though she couldn't tell exactly what said plan was. What she could do however was view Tegan's position through his own eyes and factor in what she would do in his shoes, which would undoubtedly be rush into the enemy line, destroy the artillery and escape before any more casualties could be inflicted. Even if they lost a few suits in the ensuing fight they would be able to once again return to their well fortified and armed fortress, safe from counter attack.

"He can't safely buy himself time in Cordova while the guns remain. He's not insane… he's going to rush the line, take out the guns and whatever else he can and then retreat." Margaret added as she looked towards Geoff for advice which he was already in the process of calculating.

"We need to disrupt his formation and keep him from getting the howitzers. Move the line forward, counter attack. That's all I've got." The New Republic commander stated as the two locked eyes for a moment before Margaret nodded in agreement.

"You heard him, all mobile suits forward! Type-61's and infantry teams remain in place and protect the artillery!" She commanded and without hesitation her forces began to do as instructed, standing from their positions and marching forward into the storm.

Watching their allies move forward, Latty looks back at Marcus and then her brother before calling to their superior officer."Orders for us, Geoff?" She questioned, to which Geoff thought for a second before replying.

"You and Douglas move forward with the others. They could use some heavy firepower further past us. Marcus, stay behind and provide whatever support you can using relayed information on the enemy positions. Lieutenant Zeek Hauster will be in charge up there." He commanded as Douglas acknowledged and sped off towards the advancing Federal forces, leaving Latty and Marcus who stared at one another through their communications patch, both sharing the same nervous look as the other.

"Be careful." Marcus warned as Latty smiled a bit and nodded, beginning to climb up and over the snowy berm with her guntank's treads. "I will. You too, alright?" She replied, Marcus smiling with a nod as she began to move away from his vision while back at the command vehicle Pierce looked towards her co-commander and huffed.

"Where is that boy of yours? What is taking so long, are they building that antique he pilots from scratch?" She questioned impatiently, bringing Geoff to grin. "You have to be patient with these things, Margaret. You can't rush excellence." He replied with a laugh, trying his best to relieve the anxious woman though he can tell it wasn't working.

With a sigh he shook his head and walked towards the soldier assigned to handling the delicate and finicky task of maintaining long range communications. "I will see what's going on up there." Geoff stated once more, instructing the man sitting before him to contact their mothership above.

Hovering just outside of the thermosphere above the northeastern border between the former country of Canada and Alaska a flight crew member floated across the catwalk of the _Raditz_ 's hangar, destined for the green mobile suit standing by itself near the start of the ship's catapult system. Finally reassembled following it's refit, the Jaeger was nearly ready for launch, waiting only for it's propellant and collant supplies to be topped off before it could descend upon the battlefield below.

As promised the machine was prepared as best as possible to participate in what they all hoped would be the final battle of the almost year-long war they had started the previous fall and as such was outfitted to the best of their abilities. On top of the New Republic produced modifications to the unit's shoulders and frame they managed to complete the heat claw for it's left hand, which in addition to the machine's existing twin beam sabers made the Jaeger a monstrous foe in close quarters combat while the short-barreled version of their new 180mm machine guns from Heaven's End boosted his conventional firepower greatly.

This would be supplemented by his standard armament of two 360mm bazookas and two six-tube missile launchers, as well as the two sturmfaust wrist rockets that were added to the Jaeger's systems on it's last refit.

Spotting the approaching runner from the corner of her eye Carina, who stood to the side of the Jaeger at the small catwalk workstation running final diagnostic tests on her fiance's mobile suit, waved; a bit concerned by the nervous look on her face.

"What's up Celia?" She questioned as the girl floating towards her grabbed ahold of the railing to their side, slowing her to a stop. "We just received word from Alaska, ma'am. Colonel Walker is requesting Lieutenant Dietrich's assistance as soon as possible. He stated that our forces were about to come head to head with the Cerberus Confederation troops and that Amaury's presence was priority." She relayed, raising the hair on Carina's neck a bit. She knew that this time would come, but in secret she selfishly wished that the fighting would have ended in their victory long before Amaury's suit was done, minimizing the risk to her already physically and emotionally distressed lover.

Nevertheless, the girl nodded towards the girl. "Alright, I will tell them. Thank you, Celia." Carina replied, turning towards the Jaeger as the girl turned to leave with a sigh before floating off towards the open hatch, once again sending Amaury off to fight what might be his final battle.

Inside the cockpit however Amaury was doing some last minute preparation of his own with Doctor Emerson, who had accompanied the New Republic crew to Earth to both observe Amaury's performance as well as be at the ready should any issue once again occur due to his SICOS.

"How's it feel? Not too loose, right?" Emerson questioned as Amaury finished plugging the SICOS' connection wire into his neck, ensuring that it snapped correctly into place through the special adapter in his helmet. "No, I think it's alright. Carina was the one who reinstalled everything related to the system, so I know it is set up right." The boy replied, bringing the doctor to huff, fining his blind faith in the girl slightly foolish, even after all this time.

"Remember, keep calm and don't let your anxiety overwhelm you. That's what happened last time, and we remember how that went, don't we?" He teased as Amaury smirked and shook his head, recalling exactly what he meant.

The visions he had seen that day had yet to fully subside and occasionally he would feel their weight pressing down on his mind, and despite Carina's help in overcoming the psychological wounds he had incurred over his career he would do everything he could to keep his mind from worsening and putting even more of a burden on her than there already was. "Got it." He replied, lifting his eyes to the cockpit hatch as Carina came into light, forcing a smile to his face.

"Hey." He stated softly as she smiled as well. "Hey." Carina whispered back, her hands holding one another behind her back as she looked down at the floor below nervously. "Geoff called. It's time." She added, widening Amaury's eyes for a moment before he nodded and Dr. Emerson patted his back.

"Excellent timing. Go get em, sport. Try not to show off too much, it will look bad when I report my progress back to the medical board in Heaven's End." He joked as he turned and made his way past Carina with a grin, leaving the two alone, just as the overhead speaker began to announce the start to launch procedures in the hangar.

Hearing their time was limited, Carina stepped towards her love and did as she had before without delay, wrapping her arms carefully around his neck as he pulled her in, connecting their lips together over and over again passionately in zero gravity; her force knocking him down into the seat behind him just as she had done prior to the liberation of Side 3.

Feeling the past coming to life once again as she sat on his lap, Carina laughed against his lips. "Remember this?" She asked as he nodded, placing his hands on her lower back just how he had before.

"Of course I do. I think about it all the time… though we've gone a lot further than this since then." Amaury joked as Carina gasped, her face flushing red as she playfully slapped him. "Pervert!" She replied before kissing him several more times, each one slowing down until she rested her forehead to his and closed her eyes.

"You know what I'm going to ask you, right?" She whispered softly as Amaury nodded. "I'll come back to you." He replied, kissing her once again as she smiled and cupped his cheeks with tears in her eyes, unable to contain the worry that she felt reciprocated in him.

"You better Amaury Dietrich. I need you. I won't live our dream with anyone else." She whispered as the boy before her reached up and wiped away the rogue tears that had broken loose and rolled down her face.

"I promise that you won't need to. I wouldn't miss seeing little Emma's smile for the world." He replied, driving her to blush deeper and her heart to run wild as she once again smiled and kissed him.

"You mean little Armin?" She joked as he shook his head. "Whichever comes first, as long as they are healthy… I love you, my Carina." Amaury replied as Carina nuzzled her nose to his and nodded in agreement. "I love you too, my Amaury." She whispered back with a little kiss before sighing under her breath.

They had already taken too long, though in her defense it wasn't until a second ago she heard the metal-framed coolant filling lines being retracted away from the back of the mobile suit. "Are you ready babe?" She questioned as to her left she reached out for the switch that would activate the SICOS and establish his neurological connection to the Jaeger.

Despite his performance in duels against Aye before he returned to Heaven's End Carina knew that each flip of the switch was extremely painful, even for just a moment or two, and since this was the first time he would be activating it to return to combat she wanted to be there with him.

Seeing her hand the boy nodded as well, knowing like her that their time together was over for the moment. "Ready." He responded, taking her free hand with both of his own before inhaling and holding a deep in his chest and watching as she pulled down the lever, shooting electricity into his neck and down his spine.

"G-Guah…" He groaned through his teeth as his body tensed up, lowering his head in pain for a moment or two before the involuntary spasms calmed and he was once again able to open his eyes and look into those of his lover once again. "Are you alright?" She questioned with concern, gently caressing his face as he nodded.

"I'm alright… good t-to go." He replied as she smiled a bit before frowning again. "What about the flight down? Are you going to be okay?" She again inquired, bringing him to laugh lightly under his breath and hum in response. "I think I'll manage."

Hearing his answer Carina giggled with a nod. Her hero was all ready to go back to war and despite the fact that she did not want him to she knew it was time. Leaning forward she one more kissed her lips and then his forehead.

"I love you." She said softly as she floated up and off of his lap towards the open hatch, holding his hand for as long as she could, afraid that if she were to let go she would never hold it again. "I love you too." Amaury replied as she finally released his hand and exited the Jaeger's cockpit, allowing him to both shut the hatch door and take the machine off of auxiliary power; it's reactor turning over with a loud thud that soon transitioned into the smooth humming sound he had become familiar with as the screens around him began to illuminate and display the hangar he stood in.

With it also came the _Samuel Raditz_ 's radio channel in his helmet which was almost immediately filled with Tome's voice as she called down to him. "Are you there Amaury? Come on already, what's taking you so long?!" She questioned impatiently from her position at the helm of the ship, acting as captain in Geoff's place at his request.

Shaking his head, Amaury disengaged the magnetic locks keeping the Jaeger in place and took his first mag-laden step into the mobile suit lane before him. "I'm going, I'm going. I had to wait for the Jaeger's propellant tanks to fill." He replied in a stern yet joking voice, bringing the girl on the other end to scoff.

"Yeah, alright. I saw Carina leaving on the hangar cameras Amaury, you ain't fooling anyone!" She replied, causing Amaury to laugh. "In any case, I'll be ready to launch in a moment." The boy added, making his way across the lane to a storage rack on the other side containing a device given directly to them from the _Horizon_ by First Lieutenant Chalmer; a modified atmospheric entry system known as a ballute.

Unlike earlier designs that made the user vulnerable to weapons fire because of the fragile balloon, the newest generation of ballute systems utilized a large, metal shield covered in ablative material that would bouth shield the suit from the extreme heat of reentry as well as incoming damage while a series of parachutes hooked to his suit coupled with the suit's own thrusters would serve to reduce the machine's speed once safely within the atmosphere.

The shields had not been greatly used since the time of their development given the lack of conflicts requiring atmospheric reentry, but the ablative material had been long used to decelerate spacecraft and was a proven system that typically did not fail.

Picking up the shield with the Jaeger's claw-equip left hand and a short-barreled 180mm from the rack with his right, Amaury walked over to the _Raditz_ 's catapult system and locked himself in the tracks below with both feet, watching from the corner of his eye as the ship's hangar opened and revealed the curved horizon of the Earth below.

"I'm sending you the coordinates of the battle. This beacon will serve to direct you to the frozen plains as well as show you the correct angle of approach to achieve maximum heat dissipation. Do you see it?" Carina questioned into the channel having finally reached a safe location to watch Amaury launch, bringing the boy to nod a moment later as both the beacon and the trajectory lines illuminated on the heads-up display of his helmet.

"Yeah, I see it. Thank you." He replied, double checking the weapons panel to his left to make sure all of his weapon controls as well as the heatshield were loaded into his suit correctly. "Alright, all systems are go. I'm ready for launch." The pilot added as Tome nodded.

"Right. Naomi, Lieutenant Chalmer, clear a path from in front of Launch Bay 1, I'm starting the countdown to launch. Thirty seconds." The acting captain instructed as both Chalmer's ReZEL and her own Kalani, which had been floating in the area between the _Horizon_ and the _Raditz_ , moved further away from the opening below.

"Yes ma'am!" Naomi responded, boosting backwards towards the NRZ carrier with Chalmer at her side and slowing to a stop just outside of the bridge's windows. "We are out of the way and clear of Bay 1!" The rookie pilot called to Tome as she looked out to the glowing monoeye focusing on her with a big thumbs up.

"Alright! Amaury you are clear to take the stage; launch!" She ordered as below the boy closed his eyes, listening to the deafening sound of his heart beating in his chest at the thought of his decent down to the planet's surface.

He had barely made it through his first experience with Carina's help. Would he be alright on his own or would he have a heart attack on the way down? This was the last battle; the last time he would need to raise his fist to fight Tegan and his cronies. Once this was all over they would finally be free to live how they so desperately wished to and all of their dreams would be allowed to come true. All that was standing in their way was this fall; a tiny obstacle seeing just how far they had come.

Exhaling and once more opening his eyes, Amaury pushed his throttle to its maximum, igniting his thrusters to full burn as he remained locked to the deck for a second longer before reaching for the catapult release.

"Amaury Dietrich, Konig Jaeger… Launching!" He exclaimed, instantly shooting himself out of the _Samuel Raditz_ 's left hangar at breakneck speed, releasing him out into space in a spinning and zigzagging glint of light that both Chalmer and Naomi followed with their eyes, as did the bridge crews of the _Horizon_ and the _Raditz_ respectfully.

"And he's off. Goodluck Amaury." Tome called back as he cleared the ship's immediate airspace, though in hearing Amaury's new designation for the mobile suit the girl raised an eyebrow. "Konig Jaeger?" She questioned as Carina turned away from the command console in the hangar below and watched the same sight as the others through the closing hangar doors. Would this be the final time she saw him alive? Would their kisses moment ago be their last?

"It means 'king hunter' in German… I thought that it would be fitting for this last battle." Carina replied, nervously clutching her heart to fight the urge to call out to him as the doors locked shut with a loud clang and an all clear was signaled. "Great, more ammunition to go this ego. I'm not calling him king." Tome huffed jokingly as outside of the bridge Naomi remained focused on the Jaeger.

"He's so… fast." Naomi blurted out as her eye followed the machine's engine glow left a trail that outlined the large loop he made around the two warships before headinging towards the Earth as Lieutenant Chalmer, who unlike the pilot in the mobile suit next to him had seen the now mythic Green Demon in combat once before, grinned and looked back to the bridge of the _Raditz_ in search of Tome as she began to speak once more.

"You don't even know. Carina, are we still heading down there?" She asked to which Carina nodded, already moving through the hangar towards the rear of the _Raditz_ where per her request Doctor Emerson was waiting to descend down to Earth with them, just in case Amaury became distressed of his SICOS failed.

"Alright halfway there." The woman hummed, widening Tome's eyes. "Oh, don't leave without me!" She exclaimed, rushing around the back of the command panel she had been standing at towards the door to the bridge, informing the first mate of the vessel that he would be in charge while she was gone before turning towards the window and looked out to the Kalani's wandering eye.

"Remember what I told you, you will do fine Naomi!" She called out as the girl outside gasped. "W-What? You're going down there ma'am?" She questioned out loud, bringing Tome to grin.

"Uh, yeah? Do you really think I'm going to let Major Hughes go on her own and miss out on all the action? Oh, and Chalmer, try not to piss her off. She might seem timid, but I can assure you that she has quite the temper!" Tome replied before floating off of the bridge to the sound of the Federal lieutenant's laugh.

"I wouldn't even think of it. Goodluck you two. Hopefully the next time we see each other it will be at the victory celebrations." The man stated while looking to Naomi and then to the glint from Amaury's engines, barely visible through the atmosphere as he began his descent through the thermosphere onto Earth. If anyone amongst them had a chance to take down Tegan, it was certainly him.

"Here they come!" One of the Federal pilots at the head of the advancing Federal formation called out as the arrowhead of swiftly moving mobile suits appeared on their sensors through the snow heading towards them fast, bringing the formation of eight Jegans to a halt.

"All units spread out and prepare to open fire. We can not let them get past us. We hold them here." The pilot acting as the unit's commander instructed as Douglas scoffed. He knew that standing still and waiting for them to come towards them was a foolish tactic and that if they were going to truly stop the enemy advance they would need to move in and counter their foe at full speed.

"Latty, stay here and keep the greenhorns safe; I'm going after Tegan. Someone's got to have the balls to face him head on." He stated in a demeaning tone towards the others as he sped past them, swerving left and right in the snow to avoid being an easy target while behind Latty sighed. "Alright, be careful. Lure them in to us." She replied as Douglas scoffed, quickly approaching the group before him.

"There won't be any left!" He laughed, his eyes wide with the thrill of the coming fight as his senses picked up on the enemy's sudden concentration on him. "Incoming mobile suit ahead!" A Cerberus pilot called out as Tegan snarled. "Open fire!" He instructed, lifting his own beam weapon to join in the stream of tracers his team was sending out into the snow but as expected it seemed as if the pilot of the approaching machine was rather adept at avoiding them.

"He's evading all of our shots!" One of them cried in desperation, bringing the Cerberus' eyes to narrow on the sensor reading before them. Was this him? Was this the Green Demon coming for them?

"Come on Amaury… come get me…" He whispered under his breath, though much to his annoyance just as the machine was about to break through the cover of the storm it became clear by his psychic presence alone that it was not the boy he hoped to face but one of the pirate rats who had survived the judgment dealt to Lord Kurin's crew months before.

He had detected his inconsequential presence during the battle of Side 3 as well as the defense of the colonies, but given his preoccupation with the demon of the revolution at the time he could have cared less.

Watching as the Dubisar's silhouette shattered the snowblind before them and ran straight towards them while still successfully evading the bliding stream of machinegun and beam fire, Tegan patched into the Federal comms network, intending to speak to his foes as he inevitably picked them off one by one.

"You insignificant space rat; how did you survive?" He questioned, his eyes following the Dubisar as it sped towards on of the Confederation Jegans in its path, forcing it to evade as the machine opened up with its slower firing yet harder hitting 180mm gun. "I wasn't willing to die while you were still alive!" Douglas replied with a maniacal grin as he averted his attention from the one Jegan to another on a damaging run through his foes, taking extra care to avoid damage while looking for their leader.

"Hatred will get you nowhere." Tegan replied as he watched the New Republic machine juke out a third Jegan who swung his beam saber at him and make his way to a fourth. "Don't you dare talk to me about hatred!" Douglas snarled as he began peppering the enemy Jegan with his machine gun before drawing his heat rod from its rack and cleaving the suit's weapon bearing arm from its body and simultaneously damaging the unit's head, successfully knocking it from the fight with what looked like minimal effort, causing the Cerberus to grunt in annoyance.

Even if this man was not the Green Demon his ability to bob and weave his way through his line was concerning, as was the fact that he had effectively halted their advance, taking a machine with him.

Now down to eight suits including himself Tegan knew he couldn't allow this Newtype to continue running wild through his lines, and as the Dom Tropen raised his heat rod to attack another of his forces the Cerberus boosted forward towards his enemy at maximum speed, knocking the Jegan out of the weapon's path and locking his left-handed beam saber against Douglas' weapon.

"Do you really think you can take on all eight of us alone? It's no wonder why you are the last of Kurin's pirates; a title you won't hold onto much longer." Tegan taunted as the sparks coming from their two weapons illuminated the dark sky for a moment as Douglas snickered. "Who said I was the last?" He questioned just as Tegan sensed an incoming set of howitzer rounds from outside of his line of sight and boosted back away from Douglas to avoid the weapon's impact.

"Relaying my coordinates? Are you afraid to fight a fair fight?" Tegan questioned as he clashed back against Douglas' heat rod once more, growling under his breath. "A fair fight, like Kurin's crew? Huh? What about all of those people in the colonies? You piece of shit… this is a fair fight; one I'm going to win, even if you are piloting some kind of Gundam Relic!" The ex-pirate snarled, further instigating Tegan's rage.

If he was intent on fighting him he would have little choice but to do so. Leaving him to deal with any other member of his team would surely result in a crippling loses, and given the already immense severity of the situation he knew that would not be acceptable.

"Lieutenant Connors, take the rest of the group ahead and continue the attack. We've wasted enough time here. I will finish this fight and meet you on the front momentarily." He instructed as the group of Jestas and Jegan's around him and acknowledged and resumed their ride towards the Federal's forward position, leaving just Tegan and Douglas who repeatedly struck at each other to no avail, though the enemy's movement was none of his concern.

He came to this fight hunting Tegan with the intent to kill him by his own hand and he now had his opportunity. "Here they come Lat, get ready." He warned, stowing his machine gun on the Dubisar's back beside his spare weapon, a 192mm shotgun, and slamming his heat rod into the ground in a display of power that merely brought Tegan to scoff in amusement. "You are the one who should be getting ready."

Grunting in annoyance at her brother's foolish decision to take on the Cerberus alone Latty tried her best to remain focused, despite the worry threatening to overflow from her heart. Why was he trying to get himself killed? Was finishing Tegan before Amaury could really that important to him? Feeling her worry through the silence alone, Marcus sighed.

"He will be alright Latty, don't worry." He tried to reassure her, bringing a small smile to her face as she looked to him on the screen to her left. "Yeah, I know he will be. Thank you." She replied as the Hauster looked back at her and then across at the others around him.

"The enemy is moving again, shields up!" He instructed as the units did as they were told, two of which knelt in front of Latty's shieldless guntank, and within several seconds the advancing slew of foes came into targeting range and began to open fire on the Federal forces.

As planned their shields were effective in deflecting most of the incoming fire long enough to expose the enemy suits, and as all them crossed through the snowblind at once the command Jegan spoke again. "Fire!" He barked triggering the Federal mobile suits to open fire on their advancing forces which immediately split into two groups of four and moved to both the left and right flank simultaneously while avoiding the incoming fire.

"Shit!" Latty growled as she spun to her left and fired a single round from her howitzer as well as a healthy spray of machine gun fire, striking a Jegan in the shield and blowing it to bits as the suit recoiled out of sight into the snow. "They are trying to flank us, adjust your positions accordingly!" Their command unit ordered as the group split in half and started to shift to meet the coming for, but were greeted with their approach much quicker than anticipated.

"Get 'em boys!" The Confederation officer in charge of their advanced called out as both sides collapsed on the center circle, weaving in and out of the Federal suits as they began to break the Federal line and cause confusion amongst their foes.

Instantly two Confederation Jegan's approached a Federal suit and worked as a team to destroy it, one using its machine gun to sever it's head while the other drew it's beam saber and pierced the suit's cockpit, while from the opposite side the two Cerberus Jesta's destroyed a Jegan each as the Federal soldiers tried desperately to retaliate, destroying another Jegan's shield but unable to finish it off as its comrades moved in and provided small-arms fire.

"They've broken our line, we're being overrun!" One of the Federal pilots exclaimed in fear for his life as the command Jegan stepped back, blocked an incoming volley of beam fire and retaliated with his own beam rifle. "Fall back to the line, we-" He started to order as Latty's guntank rammed forward in front of him, blowing a Cerberus Jegan onto it's back with another howitzer shot as she did so.

"No, we hold here! We have to keep them from reaching the line!" She argued as Marcus' green beam reached out through the snow once more and pierced the Jegan as it attempted to stand back up disabling it in place and allowing Latty to focus on another that charged towards her and the Federal field command suit, forcing it to veer off track and avoid her machine gun fire as it did so.

"We can't take them all on, they are going to murder us!" The pilot of the command suit argued back as from the smokey darkness darted the other Jesta with it's beam saber drawn, forcing him to raise his shield to block the fatal attack.

"He's right; your batch of rookies and traitors is no match for our more experienced forces! Surrender now, and maybe Admiral Trevelyn will allow you all to live!" The pilot inside mocked with a laugh, bearing down on the pilot inside of the Federal machine with all of the Jesta's might, forcing the Jegan to slide back in the snow before the pilot inside could drop his beam rifle and draw his own beam saber, repelling his attacker and opening him up for the Guntank to engage, shooting him once with the anti-mobile suit rifle built into the machine's chassis and damaging the central visor.

"Admiral? You call that man admiral?! Is that some kind of joke?!" Latty spat, sensing and evading another attack from the second Jesta as she swung and struck it with her right machine gun arm, knocking it away before peppering the foe for a second and throwing it in full reverse to avoid a Confederation Jegan's swing; the edge of which sliced through the barrel of the rifle on her machine, disabling it.

"Latty!" Marcus exclaimed, blasting the machine's shield with his beam to distract him and allow Latty to escape danger. However, instead of running she slammed the left arm of her Guntank into the enemy's cockpit, holding it still and allowing her to blast it into pieces with all five missiles attached to her left shoulder until the suit exploded and fell to the ground in pieces.

Reversing away form the smoke, Latty scanned her horizon for immediate threats before looking down at her tank's left arm and cursing at the realization that her actions had sheared all four barrels of her quadruple 90mm machine gun clear off, rendering it useless.

"Fuck…" She mumbled, muting the warning signs in her cockpit as she looked over to her weapons control panel. With only one arm gun, five missiles and three howitzer rounds left her combat effectiveness was quickly dwindling, bringing about a sense of urgency to finish their fight and pushing her to roll towards a group of her allies struggling to fight off the enemy.

Breaking away from yet another series of blows back and forth Douglas panted, exhausted from the intense exchange between him and Cerberus before him. It had been quite some time since he last fought an opponent of this magnitude in single combat with the last being Amaury when they attempted to recover Kurin's lost property, bringing a grin to his face.

"They call you their leader? Your no better than the average grunt." The pirate huffed as Tegan stared him down, seemingly unphased by either the combat or his words. "It's not always about raw skill. It's about having the mind and the capacity to use it. Something your old boss always lacked, from what I've been told." Tegan responded Douglas laughed.

"You don't know a thing, just like that brother of yours!" He yelled, boosting forward at maximum speed and lifting his heathawk up to strike the Ez-8, though Tegan's senses brought him to lift his blade and block the rod while at the same time dropping his beam rifle and drawing another beam saber from his backpack before swinging it towards the Dubsar's waist.

"No you don't!" Douglas shouted, lowering his heat rod a bit to block the second blade as well, leaving them both staring at one another, locked place. "I'd say my brother knew plenty." Tegan growled in annoyance, slowing increasing his throttle to put pressure on his opponent.

"It was by his hand that all of this came to light… he always told me that one day the Cerberus forces would be mine to control and that with them I would truly make a difference in this world. Without his leadership I would have never came to be the man I am today. Those lives lost in the colonies and here on Earth… they were all for a greater cause; a cause worth dying for." He continued to monologue as he slowly began to gain the advantage, pushing Douglas' heat rod closer and closer towards his suit as the man inside struggled to keep the relic he was piloting stable.

"A cause they had no say in! Your just another Titan wannabe rejected from Londo Bell and given a fancy name and title; a murderer and a psychopath far from the hero they make you out to be, and I'm going to make sure that you burn in hell for every man, woman and child you've ever killed!" Douglas countered as Tegan huffed. "A pirate with a heart? How useless." He replied in a punitive tone, bringing Douglas to scream out in anger as his sensors alerted him to the approach of several more mobile suits.

"Hmm?" Tegan hummed in question as his eyes looked towards the approaching soldiers which were quickly identified as his own as the five suits, a Jegan, a GM III and and three Nemos, slowed to a stop by him, each drawing their weapons on the Dubisar as it struggled to hold back its foe.

"Admiral Trevelyn, we are here to help!" A pilot of one of the Nemos called out, catching Tegan's eye. "Better late than never, but you better have made sure that some of you stayed behind to help defend the base." He replied in a stern tone as the soldier nodded.

"Yes sir, there are still forces defending the base too, General Ramirez made sure of it." Another pilot responded, watching the Cerberus effortlessly hold back his foe as he laughed. "Good. You five go ahead and reinforce Lieutenant Connors, I will be there shortly." He ordered as Douglas snarled and pushed the Dubisar past its normal limits, knocking Tegan back away from him as he did so. This action activated the emergency vents on the back of the Dubisar's backpack unit to open and clear the excess heat in the reactor bay and as Tegan's Ez-8 slid to a stop he could feel the pilot's overwhelming desire to do him harm.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Douglas screamed and boosted forward, lashing out against the Mutant over and over as it repeatedly parried and retaliated back, astounding those who watched before they all began to move towards the front.

Grunting at the sight of the enemy reinforcements making their way towards his sister and their allies Douglas went on the offensive, swiping his heat rod over the head of the Mutant as it dodged and tried to take Douglas' arm off with his saber.

Reacting quickly enough to avoid severe damage, the New Republic pilot lifted the Dubisar's knee up and violently struck his foe's chest in retaliation, knocking him back with a loud metallic clang before trying to strike once more; his attempt stopped as Tegan again blocked the heat rod with his own blades.

"Latty there-!" He attempted to warn his sister as Tegan launched his own offensive, striking back at the rival Newtype in a series of furious swipes and hand to hand moves done to the best of his ability without a psycommu system. "Warn them all you want, it won't save them. This will all be over soon. You and your friends should have never came here." Tegan warned, unleashing a burst of vulcan fire from his head and chest weapons that struck the Dom's center eye, damaging the sensor and causing the screens inside to flicker, much to Douglas' dismay.

"Shut your mouth! Latty!" He exclaimed, once again trying to send his message but much to his dismay it seemed that his communications systems were down. "What?!" He questioned, rotating his mono-eye down to his chest to see the smoke that plumed from the area on the Dubisar's torso that housed his transmitters; the metal cut through by Tegan's blade during their dual.

"You mother fucker!" The man exclaimed as he boosted away from Tegan, trying to use his speed to his advantage though the enemy began to lay-chase, limiting his benefits significantly as the two began to strike repeatedly at one another over and over again, lighting up the snow clouds with sparks as the Cerberus laughed.

"Like I said, you and your friends should have never come here. It's all over." Tegan taunted as he bursted his vulcans at the Dubisar to distract the pilot while Douglas did the same, utilizing the form Dom Tropen's beam scattergun to try and blind the Cerberus though neither attempted prevailed and both continued to lock blades over and over again. "I'll show you!" He snarled as he stepped up his game, attacking fast and harder with less time in between strikes. If he couldn't warn them of the approaching enemies he needed to end this fight and quickly return to their side to help. It was the only way.


	44. Chapter 44: Linebreaker

Successfully defeating a Confederation Jegan with his own, Lieutenant Hauster boosted back towards Latty, parrying an incoming blade from another to his side and allowing Latty to strafe the user with her machine guns as it passed by. "Got another one." He huffed as sweat ran down his face, watching as Latty's head looked towards him and then back at the foes, firing one of her three remaining howitzer shots at an enemy that was advancing on two of their allies, chasing him away.

"I see that. I also see that you've lost your shield and arm. Don't get cocky just because we are winning now." She warned as she turned to her side, tracking the two Jestas as they moved in and out of the snow to hide their visual presence. She understood that they were under the assumption that she was running low on ammunition and that she wouldn't risk a shot without a high probability to hit, and seeing as she could sense at least one of them to be a Newtype they were correct, making the situation as dangerous as before despite their seven to four advantage.

"If we keep the pressure on they won't be able to break us apart again; all units pull pack to our location, form a perimeter!" The man at Latty's back ordered as the four Jegans around them began to withdraw carefully towards them, angering the two swarming Jesta pilots.

"It will take more than that!" One of them called as from the snow swarmed a cloud of twenty missiles launched from the two suit's shields and waist, flying straight towards the duo of Jegan's closest to them, causing Latty to gasp as she sensed the incoming barrage before any alarms sounded to alert them.

"Incoming missiles, shoot them down!" She exclaimed as the fury of explosives tore through the blinding flurries towards her allies, and although their response was appropriate it was too little too late as nearly half of the missiles to struck the two machines, destroying one and causing the other to collapse into the snow. "Shit!" Zeek growled under his breath, firing his own hip-mounted missiles into the snow to try and ward off any further attacks on their remaining forces as the two jegan's who remained standing moved back to the gun tank and commander variant, forming a four point defensive star.

"Reload your weapons and check your ammunition. Even though there are four of them they will come again!" Latty instructed as the leader of the Cerberus' forward formation laughed. "Four?" He questioned sarcastically as on their sensors appeared five more mobile suits that moved towards them at a high rate of speed, bringing Latty's heart to sink. If they were coming from the base they would have to have passed Tegan and Douglas' fight. What had become of her brother?

"Douglas?" She questioned out loud as she spun her weapons around towards the advancing foes as the Federal Jegans disappeared into the snow towards their reinforcements with the Jestas, likely preparing to counter attack once more. After a few seconds without her brother's answer, Latty's hands began to tremble.

"D-Douglas answer me!" She called out, this time forcing Marcus to take notice to the deepening concern in her voice. "Latty what's wrong?" He questioned as he lowered his suit's rifle and was immediately called by Geoff on the radio instead as the Colonel walked towards Margaret from his position nervously staring at their long range radar in hope that Amaury would suddenly appear.

"Marcus, they are outnumbered four to nine and Douglas is out of radio range or something. You need to move forward to assist, ASAP!" He instructed as the sniper grunted under his breath. "Already on it." He stated, dropping his beam rifle to the snow below before immediately boosting forward towards the front, reaching down to grab a fallen Jegan's 90mm machine pistol on the way while simultaneously pulling the heat hawk from his side with his left hand. It wasn't much but it would have to do.

Looking back to Margaret, Geoff scoffed. "Call the artillery crews back, its too much of a danger now. They've done their job as bait, no need to risk their lives." He suggested as Margaret stared him down, unhappy about his nearly demanding tone though she knew he was right.

"Right. All artillery teams stand down and evacuate from your battery locations. Prepare to repel any incoming enemies." She instructed, watching as the Zakum rushed forward away from their basecamp before activating his boosters to rush towards his allies. "I'm on my way, just sit tight!" Marcus called out ahead of his arrival, but it was clear to the federal field commander that he would arrive too late.

"Hurry, here they come!" He called as from the snow the now nine Confederation suits descended, resorting to the tactics they had originally used against them. "Shields!" The officer screamed as the two suits remaining raised their shields to defend themselves, but given her initial lack of a defensive armament as well as her comrades, Latty had a different idea.

Snapping from her worry-induced freeze she activated the smoke launchers on her tank's torso, blasting the area around them with smoke-releasing pellets that immediately covered their area in a chalky smokescreen.

"Spread out!" She ordered as the Confederation opened fire; the tracers streaking by creating a horrific whizzing sound that was only intensified by the sporadic impacts against their metal hulls. Seeing their pitiful attempt to avoid destruction, the leader of the Confederation front scoffed.

"Smoke? Do you really think that will keep you safe long?" He questioned as the other Jesta pilot laughed. "Yeah, you can run," He stated as he boosted into the smoke and locked onto the evading guntank before him, drawing his beam saber in the process. "But you can't hide!" The pilot added with a thunderous glee, lifting his beam saber up to cut the guntank down, but much to his surprise the machine immediately turned towards him and aimed both of its cannons down into his chest.

"DIE!" The girl screamed as she unleashed her two remaining howitzer shells at an almost point blank range. Striking twice in the chest, the Jesta's now pilotless form blew backwards onto the ground with a monstrous thud as the suit's killer remained still, it's pilot panting heavily over the controls as she stared and the burning wreckage before her; her sharp word echoing through the Federal and New Republic comms, rising Marcus' worry well over what it had been previously.

In the time they had known each other he had watched as she grew from the intense, near-psychotic woman they fought against in defense of their fledgling fleet to the somewhat shy but deeply compassionate, lively and misunderstood Latty he knew now, and to hear her shout and the tone in her voice concerned him exponentially. "Hold on, I'm coming!" He called out not only to Latty but to their remaining Federal allies who continued to hold the line despite mounting damage to their suits.

Hearing her cry and seeing the frozen Guntank himself the Federal Command Jegan moved back against the Guntank, parrying the blade from the remaining Jesta as he did so. "You bastard Zeek, stop protecting that Zeon rogue and wait your turn to die!" The pilot inside called out, identified by his own suit's markings as the leader of the Confederation's forward group, bringing Hauster to grin.

"Is that you Connors? I knew you wouldn't have been so lucky as to have been killed during the battle of the colonies. You were too much of a coward to die honorably with your brothers. I knew you would side with that fool!" The pilot scoffed back, deflecting the blade away once more as he smacked Lieutenant Connors' suit in the head, disrupting his vision and causing the machine to boost back away from his foe, allowing his comrades to move in for their own attack.

"Petty Officer Kriets, are you injured?!" Hauster questioned as the absence of movement from her suit became apparent to him, watching from the corner of his eyes as the two remaining Jegans in their squad struggled to protect themselves from the hail of hostile machine gun fire.

"Officer Kriets!" He again questioned as he opened the comms channel to view the inside of her cockpit, grunting at the sight of her shadowed form frozen forward in the cockpit in what appeared to be fear or possibly even injury. Was she hit somehow?

"The guntank is down, keep her covered!" He ordered, discharging his head vulcans into an incoming Nemo to ward it off as one of his soldiers scoffed. "Keep her covered?! We can barely keep ourselves covered!" He replied while firing his machine gun until it ran empty, prompting the suits he had been firing on to take notice.

With a grunt of fear the pilot lifted his shield to deflect incoming fire and retaliate with the seven missiles stored across his suit and shield, though they were only successful in knocking the enemy's shield from its hands. "We are in deep shit here!" The other pilot exclaimed as he too fought back against a foe, blocking the swipe of a GM III's beam saber before the machine reached forward with his hand and grabbed the heavy metal slab.

"You don't need this!" The Confederation pilot taunted as he boosted full speed backward and tore the shield from the Jegan's hand, exposing him to a fatal barrage of Confederation fire that tore his machine to pieces and caused it to collapse to the snow below.

Her hands shaking Latty continued to stare at the screen before her, paralyzed by an overpowering fear she had not felt since witnessing Jazz's execution at the hands of the original Cerberus and the massacre that came directly afterwards. Douglas had yet to say anything in reply and each second that his voice didn't all to her felt like a hole being drilled into the back of her head; holes that didn't even seem to alleviate with the call of Marcus' voice, seemingly drowned out by the gunfire and screaming around her.

Shifting her eyes she watched as Lieutenant Hauster, angered by the loss of one of his final team mates, growled out in rage and boosted forward against the advancing GM III before locked his blade to it's shield and slicing it in half. Using his head vulcans he then targeted, fired upon and destroyed the machine's main sensor unit, causing it to stumble back in reaction.

"Mother fuckers!" He exclaimed as he regained his own footing and swung the blade again as he stepped even further away from the guntank, chopping the GM down the middle until the blade halted just below the cockpit, killing both it's pilot and the Minovsky generator inside while the remaining Federal soldier under his command brought another foe to its knees before firing enough times at the cockpit to crack open its metal shell and kill the pilot inside, neutralizing one of the Confederation Nemos.

"Got him!" The pilot called out, bringing a small grin to Zeek's face as from between them darted the remaining Confederation Jesta; his beam saber lifted up to strike as he aimed his suit directly towards the still immobile guntank, careful to avoid the same fate as his comrade.

"You may have killed two, but I'm going for the big game here! That tank is mine!" Connors yelled in an almost bloodthirsty cheer, catching both of the Federal pilots off guard. "Officer Kriets!" Zeek exclaimed as the other Federal pilot opened fire, using only three bullets before his magazine emptied.

"S-Shit!" The pilot tried to warn the struggling girl who watched as the machine darted towards her. With no other option Lieutenant Hauster boosted towards the incoming foe and once again swung his beam saber, however in his rash move he failed to properly analyze Connors stance allowing the Jesta to respond accordingly; the machine ducking and swinging it's own saber across the Jegan's legs, slicing them at the knees and bring the machine down to Earth hard.

Rolling to a stop Zeek quickly looked up at his foe in expectation to be killed at any second, though it seemed that he hadn't stopped to finish him and instead shot right towards the Guntank with murderous intent.

"Latty!" He cried out as the watched on in her fear. Focusing her psyche enough to react, she lifted the tank's right arm up and towards the advancing foe, but much to her dismay it appeared that she had run dry on all of her ammunition.

Gasping as her eyes narrowed on what would be her death, she held what would be her last breath of air and watched as someone else moved into the Jesta's path; someone she could not sense, though her eyes widened at the sight regardless.

"M-Marcus…?" She questioned as the gray mobile suit dashed into the side of the Jesta, knocking it off course and forcing it to slide to a stop to regain its balance. "Pfft, who else?" The pilot questioned, wincing from the rough impact he too recoiled from.

"Guah, you Zeon bastard! Where did you come from?!" Lieutenant Connors argued as he stood back straight and boosted towards the Zakum, the pilot of which scoffed at the brazen move. "Right at me, eh? Just because I'm the marksmen doesn't mean I can't put up a fight!" He argued as walked towards the charging suit, firing the 90mm machine gun in his right hand while also heating up the heat hawk in his left.

Watching the coming exchange, Hauster grunted. "Lieutenant Northwood, watch out! He's an ace from the Second Fleet!" He warned as Captain Pierce chimed in, having been listening the whole time in silence to allow the others to communicate as efficiently as possible.

"He's right Northwood, Connors has been under my watch for some time in accordance to terms of the UC Project. He's a highly skilled Newtype and shouldn't be taken lightly." She responded though Marcus once more scoffed in reply. "Ace, Newtype; whatever. It's nothing I haven't had the opportunity to fight before. Besides, my best friend is a Newtype and I've beaten him!" The Republic pilot replied as Geoff scoffed.

"You beat Amaury _once_ , and it was in a _training simulator_ Marcus. Don't be an idiot." The Colonel replied, bringing Marcus to grin as the Jesta zoomed off to the Zakum's side to avoid the incoming machine gun fire.

"Well, you know me. I can't promise anything." He replied before rapidly closing the distance and locking his heat hawk to the machine's beam saber. "Even with you they don't stand a chance! Admiral Trevelyn-" Connors began to taunt as Marcus cut him off, parrying the blade to the side as he boosted and rammed the Jesta back with his torso.

"Admiral Trevelyn is a bitch and a fucking coward. If you've put all your faith in him, you've already!" He shouted over the Federal pilot as Marcus went on the offensive, striking over and over again with a series of swipes that forced Connors to evade to avoid being crippled by the superheated blade.

"You know nothing, Tegan is going to save the Federation!" The Confederation pilot replied in anger, firing his head vulcans at the Zakum to try and damage his monoeye, though the now seasoned pilot knew enough to lift his gun-wielding arm up to deflect the small caliber munitions being thrown his way.

"Save the Federation? If you were from the Second Fleet then you saw what he did to the New Republic's colony, Pharos. He killed all those people to further his goals and seek revenge… what do you think he will do to all of those living in the Earth's sphere once he rules over the Federation, huh? Are you that blind?" Marcus asked with the intent on distracting his foe thought it seemed unlikely that the experience pilot had fallen for his trick as he once more charged the Zakum at full speed and locked his blade to the suit's heat hawk.

"You don't seem to understand that in order for the many to flourish some may die. That is an inevitable fact of life, Zeon scum. You should know… how many died at the hands of the Principality in '79, huh? Hypocrite!" Connors screamed as Marcus lifted the machine gun in his hand to fire into the Jesta before being forced to boost back away from Connor's suit to engage two more than now swarmed towards the two remaining Federal and Republic suits.

Firing the last of his 90mm ammunition to ward off an advancing Jegan Marcus grunted, but much to his appreciation the Jegan at his back was already ready with a spare. "Here! Last one, make it count!" He called to the New Republic pilot as he tossed the last full magazine he had on him to the Zakum's hand, causing Marcus to laugh as he reloaded his weapon.

"Thanks!" He cheered as he spun to block the blade of the shieldless Nemo and without hesitation lifted his replenished machine gun up and over their weapons, unleashing a barrage that removed the head of the suit from its body and caused enough damage to force the suit to shut down to prevent core detonation.

Approaching once more to strike out at the New Republic newcomer, Lieutenant Connors boosted from the snow towards Marcus at top speed, catching the pilot off guard and forcing him to boost back and away to avoid the man's saber which chopped into the disabled Nemo's arm and upper torso, tearing the arm from the suit before Connors could stop himself.

"Hold still you bastard!" He exclaimed as the stunned woman amongst them continued to battle her inner demons. She knew that she needed to do something, why couldn't she break free of the fear inside of her? Why was she even afraid? Was it because of the uncertainty of her brother's fate?

They had been in plenty of tough situations before and this wasn't the first time he had battled against highly skilled and dangerous opponents, each time returning victorious with little more than a few scratches or the occasional broken bone. Would this be the time he didn't come back? He had always been there with her through thick and thin; the two of them being nearly inseparable since their time in a Heaven's End orphanage and it was by his protest that both she and Jazz were brought on as crewman on Lord Kurin's ship with him. How could she ever live without her brother to watch over her?

Despite her fear and the tears rolling down her face she couldn't help but look on as the man she had come almost as close as her brother to fought against an opponent that genetically outclassed him in every way. There was no doubt now that Lieutenant Connors was a Newtype as with the death of the other Jesta pilot the aurora of a Newtype's presence had not subsided, and that made him very dangerous, especially because of Hauster's claim that this pilot was already an ace.

Even through her distressed state her ears still perked up at the sound of her name as Marcus called to her, forcing her breath to tremble a bit. "Latty, are you alright?" He asked through ground teeth, parrying the Jesta's beam saber off to the side as he did so.

"Come on Lat, say something!" The pilot added a moment later, the clearly worried tone present in his voice forcing her to speak. "I-I'm here… I-I'm okay…" She replied sheepishly, still holding her guntank's arm out in the direction that the foe her lover now fought came from as if she was frozen in time. Hearing her voice brought Marcus to smile, despite the fact the he continued to struggle against the Confederation Newtype.

"I'm glad to hear… you had me worried Lat." Marcus admitted with a bit of relief though he still held worry in his heart. It was unlike her to freeze up like this, especially in a stressful situation.

He was aware that she had suffered from some degree of mental illness, a fact told to him in confidence by the woman herself given their intimacy, and part of him couldn't help but feel like she was experiencing some sort of stress induced breakdown similar to that of Amaury's months prior.

"Don't worry, I've got this handled. It will be over soon!" He added with a bit of a laugh, angering the pilot he fought against. Reaching down, Lieutenant Connors switched his primary communications channel back to the secure line shared amongst the Confederation forces.

"Admiral Trevelyn, are you almost done back there?" He questioned as he boosted back away from Marcus, once more disappearing into the snowblind as his remaining five mobile suits made hit-and-run strikes against the enemy force.

Hearing his subordinates question Tegan broke his attention from his own quickly exhausting foe and faced his Ez-8's eyes towards the front. "Almost. Is everything alright?" He asked, dodging a swing of the Dubisar's heat rod and avoiding a burst of fire from it's machine gun; Douglas having resorted to a mixture of melee and ranged weaponry to help break the thus far even flow of battle.

"These New Republic operators are giving me a run for my money. I'm down to five suits, myself included. In favor of saving time and resources, I think it may be best for you to intervene here." The lieutenant replied through a harsh bit of static as Tegan's eyes narrowed.

"Is he there? The Green Demon?" He immediately asked as Lieutenant Connors shook his head. "No sir, not yet. I have what appears to be a sniper variant of a customized New Republic mobile suit as well as the Guntank that Captain Altavilla reported, the pilot of which is a Newtype, I have no doubt. Surprisingly the one who is giving me trouble is not." The pilot again replied as Tegan took a deep breath, both from relief as well as a tinge of disappointment.

"I will be there momentarily." The Cerberus responded as he once again dodge a volley of 180mm fire, thinking of a way to make a break for the frontline. The man piloting the Dom before him had proven to be a worthy adversary if not somewhat challenging, but nothing that he wouldn't be able to overcome given the proper amount of time to feel him out and find a true weakness besides exhaustion.

Infact, this pilot would make an excellent addition to his army once he won the Cordova campaign, and given the man's past life as a pirate he saw little reason why the proper implication of money wouldn't help persuade him to abandon his dislike for the Federation and himself in exchange for being allowed to live. With that realization came the recollection that part of his arsenal was two shock cables used for disabling mobile suits, and with it a plan.

"You've turned out to be quite the opponent. Douglas, wasn't it?" Tegan began to taunt as he again dodged Douglas' fire, angering him. "Don't try and talk to me like we are old pals sparing in a boxing ring… you are nothing more than my prey, and I always get my prey in the end!" He growled as Tegan laughed.

"Oh? If I remember from our little… meeting aboard the _Kurin's Pride_ , you were unable to hunt down the boy known as the Green Demon, correct? I'm curious… if he was your enemy, and the one who got away nonetheless, why are you now his friend?" The Cerberus again taunted, this time infuriating his foe even more and causing him to close the distance despite his hesitation to do so.

"You shut your fucking mouth! That kid isn't my friend! I made a deal I couldn't refuse to survive; a deal you forced me into by killing Kurin's crew and leaving me and my sister Latty adrift in space you son of a mother-fucking bitch!" He cried out as he swung against Tegan's sabers with his heat rods, smirking in the enjoyment of watching his plan come together.

"You destroyed everything I had ever worked for in my life! Kurin wasn't just my boss, he was my mentor and the father we never had; we were his family and you killed all of them! Once I shoot you down I'm going to cut your fucking head off like the fucking rat you are, do you hear me Tegan?! I'M GOING TO BE THE ONE WHO FUCKING KILLS YOU!" Douglas raged as he too began to almost lose grip on reality, falling right into Tegan's trap in the process, just as he had done in his fight against Amaury.

"Gotcha." Tegan muttered as his suit unlocked and fired three of its hip-mounted rocket propelled grenades, striking the Dubisar's right shoulder and tearing it off with the first round and forcing him to react to avoid the others as hot shrapnel sprayed inside of his cockpit, slashing through the exposed arm flesh between his rolled-up sleeves and gloves.

Gasping in surprise and pain, Douglas shifted the Dubisar into full reverse to back away while simultaneously swinging his heat rod down into the second missile and shooting the third. While this successfully helped him avoid further damage or injury it also created a large smokescreen between them that shadowed Tegan's moves despite the Dubisar's thermal optics, leaving Tegan open to once more use a tried-and- true tactic against Newtype adversaries.

Boosting forward as he drew the first of his two electric cables from his backpack unit, Tegan waited until the absolute last moment to direct his attention to his opponent, jumping his machine up in the air as he did so and jumping over Douglas' reactive swing.

"Fuck!" The pirate exclaimed as he tried to disrupt Tegan's movement, but it was too late and as the cable in the Mutant's hand wrapped around the Dubisar's left shoulder and head, he knew he was in trouble.

Almost instantly the machine created a massive influx of energy from its hands into the cable and then directly into the Dubisar causing electricity to ark through the machine and short circuit both his controls and the screens showing him the outside world, leaving Douglas in the dark as he too began to be electrocuted.

"G-Guah!" He cried out in pain as his body tensed up and his back arched as much as it involuntarily could while restrained by the cockpit seat safety straps while Tegan laughed.

"Cut my head off? I like that. Oh man, I really do." He continued to taunt as Douglas' view of the world strobed and fluctuated with his communications network. "You really will do fine as a Confederation mercenary, you know that? And don't worry, you'll get use to the idea of calling me 'boss', and I'll make sure you are fairly compensated. Now, let's just hope that sister of yours accepts the deal as well. It would be a shame if I needed to take one and discard the other." Tegan finished as the man inside the Dubisar screamed out in pure hatred before himself succumbing to the electric current pulsing through him, causing him to black out as Tegan's attack ceased.

Seeing the motionless, powerless suit in front of him Tegan laughed once more and released the cable in his hands; its metal weight sliding down to the ground around the Dubisar's feet as the Cerberus directed his attention back to his allies. "Connors, I'm done here for now. I'll be with you momentarily." He called to advise as he turned and boosted off towards the front at top speed, leaving the lifeless, smoking prison standing still until he could return to claim his newest subordinate.

"Roger! I'll keep them ready for you!" Connors called back as he once again boosted out of the snow towards the Zakum, slashing into its right shoulder armor with his beam saber to disable the two missiles stored inside while shooting down the other two from the left as the pilot fired them in retaliation.

"Tricky bastard." Marcus scoffed in frustration as he boosted back to regain his composure and attack once more, his right gun-wielding arm now disabled from Connors attack. He had held his own so far, but it was clear that over time the battle was slowly tipping in the Confederation aggressor's favor.

Dropping the machine gun to the ground to spare some deadweight Marcus once again attacked, trying to stay in high spirits as he did so. If he could hold out a little longer for Amaury to arrive he had no doubt that they would be in the clear and on their way to the Confederation base to deliver the final blow in now time.

"Man, you know what I could really use right now Latty? A coffee." The pilot joked to try and continue waking the woman from her funk as he slammed into his foes blade once more, though it was only successful in bringing a small grin to her lips.

"You know that I don't drink coffee, Marcus…" She whispered in her near trance-like state as Marcus laughed. "Yeah, I know, but you promised me you would try!" He boomed as the Jesta pilot growled in annoyance at his playful banter in combat.

"What are you two, fucking children?!" He question as he parried Marcus' blade away and attempted to jab him with the saber to no avail. "Hey man, you just gotta live life to the fullest! If you don't, you'll die nevering having know the true joys in life!" The New Republic pilot replied as he looked to Latty in their video feed though his foes next comment made him return his full attention forward.

"Well I hope you've gotten your fill on the 'joys of life' then, because your life is about to be over." He taunted as Marcus tilted his head, questioning what he meant as all of a sudden Latty's eyes grew wide; the psychic presence she had grown to loath suddenly revealing itself as it shot towards them at lightning speed.

"M-Marcus it's him! It's T-T-Tegan!" She cried out to try and warn his man but she was too slow and out of the storm's shadow shot the Confederation's Gundam which rammed full speed into the Zakum, knocking it onto its back at top speed and causing the pilot inside to strike his face off of the targetor that hung off to his side.

"Fuck!" Marcus gasped as his head recoiled, blood instantly running down his face from his nose as his eyes focused forward and widened at the sight of Tegan raising his beam saber to strike him down.

Thinking quickly the pilot threw his Zakum's reverse thrust to the maximum and boosted away from the Cerberus at top speed, bringing himself back onto his feet and sliding to a stop in the snow as the Cerberus' beam saber tore into the ground a evaporated the snow with a loud hiss.

"Miss me?" Tegan questioned over the open frequency sending a paranormal chill down the spine of everyone listening including Pierce, whose trembling good hand reached up and cupped the left earpiece of her headset. She hadn't heard Tegan's voice since their deadly encounter in the tunnels below Dakar and just one short sentence was enough to bring back the sense of fear and dread she experienced that day.

"W-Where is that kid?!" She questioned angrily to Geoff who grunted in nervous tension, sweat running down his forehead despite the cold environment they stood in. "Marcus don't try and fight him on your own, Amaury is on his way and will be there any minute! Buy yourself some time!" Geoff advised as Marcus scoffed, wiping the blood from his chin as it ran down from his bloodied nose.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" He questioned angrily in response, avoiding a burst of fire from the Mutant as the remaining Federal Jegan moved in front of Lieutenant Hauster's disabled suit and knelt down to protect it with his shield, bringing Tegan to laugh.

"Two suits? Two suits are holding you up, Connors?" He questioned as Connors huffed. "Three, technically. The guntank is still active… but I think it's out of ammo, and the pilot inside seems to be quite the basket case." The pilot responded as Marcus grimaced in anger at his words.

"Big talk coming from the Cerberus' pet!" Marcus replied in anger as Tegan laughed once more and drew his beam rifle from it's holding place on the Ex-8's rear waist armor while watching from his sides as the remaining four Confederation mobile suits came to a stop at his and Connors' sides with the intention of opening the final foes up for Tegan's judgment to be cast upon them.

"I've gotta hand it to you, Pierce. Your 2nd Fleet did a good job holding out as long as they could on their own. I was willing to bury the hatchet with you and invite you to come aboard as one of my field commanders," Tegan began to call out to the Federal commander who he knew was listening to the channel in secret.

"But after inviting these Zeon scum to Earth to try stomp out the revival of the Federation at my hand, I've changed my mind. After I kill this one and his friend in the tank, I'm coming for you. No Federal soldier here will be allowed to survive." He added in a cold, heartless tone that again sent chills up Margaret's spine and left her speechless in fear, catching Geoff's attention before it was shifted back to Marcus who upon hearing Tegan's threats became angered beyond logical thought.

"Your not going to touch her or reach Pierce! Your path stops here!" The New Republic pilot snarled as he boosted forward towards the Cerberus and lifted his heat hawk to strike, clashing against the enemy leader several times before Tegan lifted his weapon and fired upon him, forcing him to frantically evade, kicking up snow as he swerved in and out the Geoff's gasp.

"Marcus what the fuck are you doing?!" Geoff scolded as Marcus continued to dodge the incoming weapons fire.

"Whatever I have to do!" He replied as Tegan scoffed. "You're really going to resist?" He questioned, once again placing his machine into hover mode to lay chase to the Zakum while sending sporadic bursts of beam energy his direction over and over as Latty watched on in horror, frozen in paralyzing fear.

His unscathed presence there meant that he surely killed Douglas in their fight, confirming her fears and driving her back into the emotional shell she had been locked in, negating whatever good Marcus had achieved in his attempts to return her to normal.

"I'm certainly not going to allow you to take me down without a fight, that's for sure!" The pilot replied as he turned sharply towards the Ez-8 and swung horizontally towards it, missing by meere inches as Tegan put forth the bare minimum amount of skill required to avoid damage or injury.

"You are only delaying the inevitable. You won't win this… a smart man would have pleaded for his life in the hope that I may grant them mercy." Tegan taunted, bringing his blade back at Marcus who blocked and growled in anger.

"I would never beg for mercy from the likes of you, Cerberus!" He scoffed, trying his absolute best to hold back the Gundam's attack though it was clear that their suits were worlds apart in both power and performance; the Ez-8 slowly inching the saber's hand towards Marcus' head.

In desperation the New Republic pilot swung the Zakum's right arm into the Ez-8's size, rocking the machine and aggravating the man inside. "You'll regret that!" He growled out as he once again fired all three of the machine's vulcan pods at the Zakum and near point-blank range, shattering the unit's main sensor and creating a temporary blackout inside that caused Marcus to grunt in shock.

Reacting how he felt appropriate, Marcus stumbled back away from the Cerberus as he awaited the activation of his backup sensors, but as he did so Tegan made his move. Seizing the opportunity to finish his foe Tegan dashed forward and swung his beam saber down on the blinded Zakum, tearing it's good arm from its body to ensure it could no longer protect itself before raising his beam rifle and pelting the machine over and over again with bolts of energy that tore into what remained of it's frame.

Crying out in anger as the armor tore from the frame around him exposing the internal components of his suit, Marcus tried to move the Zakum forward rush into the foe to take him out with his reactor should it explode, but found himself paralyzed as the bolts pierced his reactor and killed his power supply.

Within seconds the man's scream faded leaving the lifeless, burning machine standing still for a moment or two before it's legs buckled under their own weight and the suit collapsed backwards into the snow.

Still frozen in agonizing horror as the man she cared so deeply for lay without motion or sign of life inside of what could be his metal tomb, Latty's wide eyes flickered to the Cerberus who lowered his smoking beam rifle to his side amongst the now dead silence around them.

"M-M-Marcus, n-no…" She stuttered under his breath as Tegan laughed, shocking her once more in crippling fear. "Well Lieutenant," The Cerberus stated as his Gundam's head turned to look towards Lieutenant Connors who stood behind him, both of which had now taken notice to the fact that Pierce's artillery fire has ceased.

"This was your kill." He instructed as Connors laughed and began to walk towards the downed suit. "If you say so, Cerberus." He replied as he stepped closer and drew his beam saber in preparation to spear the machine's cockpit, but as he did so a deafening, blood-curdling scream erupted over their comms.

"MARCUS!" The voice cried, bringing all of the Confederation forces to look at the only woman amongst them who, much to their surprise, now rushed towards her comrade's execution at full speed, unleashing both a barrage of her last missiles as well as the damaged anti-mobile suit rifle with little accuracy.

Sensing the attack Tegan boosted back and began to swat the missiles aimed towards him from the sky, leaving two to strike Connors' machine, tearing the shield from its back and rattling the pilot around. "What the f-" He questioned as a stray round struck his Jesta's leg and tore out all of the hydraulic systems inside, bringing him down to one knee to the Zakum's side before being rammed backwards away from Marcus at full speed.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Latty cried out in fear and anger as she slammed on her brakes, throwing the damaged Jesta to the ground and shaking the pilot inside around violently as it rolled to a stop. "You bitch! Admiral Te-" Connors growled as he tried to sit the damaged Jesta up, but he was much too slow to stop Latty from lifting her suits left arm up and smashing the machine back down into the ground.

"YOU BASTARDS!" She cried out in reply as she then lifted the Guntank's right arm and repeated her attack with the intent of using the left arm once again to pierce into the damaged cockpit before shifting her attention behind her as Tegan finally slide to Connor's side and swung his beam saber down towards the tank.

With no defensive weapon to stop the beam Latty instinctively lowered the tanks right arm and spun her torso around to her right side, blocking the Ez-8 at the wrist as the chassis of her suit directed towards Tegan and began to roll forward.

"Resourceful… you must be that Douglas' sister." Tegan scoffed as he boosted into the tank, halting her push as he lifted the beam rifle in his right hand to fire though the woman parried that hand away as well causing the shots to only cause superficial damage to the machine's lower half.

"M-My brother… Marcus… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" She screamed, once more firing the anti-tank rifle until Tegan lifted the Mutant's foot up and bent the barrel down in one powerful stomp, leaving her now completely weaponless.

Using his vulcan weapons the Cerberus began to fire into the guntank's main sensor as he had done to Marcus, but feeling the attack before it happened Latty lowered her head to keep from falling for the same trick, leaving neither side ahead in their power struggle.

Looking to her side as she continued to hold Tegan back she again focused on the motionless Zakum, tears streaming down her face as she did so. Surprised by the amount of resistance the wounded animal was putting up Tegan deactivated his saber and dropped it and the beam rifle in his other hand to the ground before flipping the Ez-8's hands around to grab the guntank's damaged forearms.

"You know, I didn't kill your brother. He is alive. In fact, me and him had a very interesting conversation just before I came to join this little party." Tegan mocked as he began to pull at the guntank's arms with all of his suit's might, even using his boosters while bracing his foot against the machine's hull, all while Latty's wide eyes stared him down through her screen. If he was alive then why was Tegan here? Douglas wouldn't have allowed him to get away, leading her to believe that the Cerberus was attempting to cause more emotional damage to her mind than already had been done.

"You see, we've come to an agreement. Well, sort of. Once this is all over he is going to come work for me, helping to lead my army across the globe and then out into space, and when his work is done he will live like a king again, just like he had under the pirate Kurin." Tegan continued as Latty's eyes grew wider and her breath shuttered.

"Shut up! Y-Your lying!" She exclaimed as her tank's arms began to spark and hydraulic fluid seeped and sprayed from the faltering joints, bringing the Cerberus to grin, satisfied in the knowledge that his deceptive plan was working.

"Oh, I'm not lying. You see, Douglas sees it how it is. He can see that there is no hope for the Federation or the Republic, nor is there any hope for those on Heaven's End. The future is the past; the past we will usher in across the known universe, and just like Douglas I know you can see it too. Join us. Join the winning side. Join-" Tegan continued as Latty interrupted his monologue with another scream of anger.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" She cried as threw the guntank into full reverse and pulled away from the Ez-8, tearing both of the tank's arms from its body mid-elbow as she backed up towards the Zakum, bringing Tegan to huff. He had given her a chance and it seemed that she was rather uninterested, and regardless whether or not it was because of current mental status he would not give her another.

Wasting no more time he dropped both hunks of metal in his hands before reaching down to pick up his beam rifle which he then pointed out towards the tank and prepared to fire to kill the woman inside. "Shame." He stated once as the weapon activated but instead of shooting Tegan froze, his eye twitching slightly as his looked up to the sky. "Huh? Is it finally him?" He mumbled as Latty too looked up, sensing the same thing. "AMAURY!"

High above the battlefield Amaury's eyes opened, looking around the cockpit as the violent shaking around him came to a stop and an alarm sounded to indicate that he had safely made it through the thermosphere, bringing him to take a deep breath.

He made it, and while he knew he sat in helped ease the anxiety brought on by the turbulent flight, he was certain most of the relief he experienced was from the memory of Carina's hand in his own.

Reactivating the Jaeger's optical devices he was almost immediately greeted by the almost blinding light outside before his eyes focused on the red hot metal shield he used to protect himself from the extreme heat of atmospheric reentry, still intact despite the pressure placed upon it.

It had done its job well, but the glow from the burning ablative coating as nowhere as impressive as the morning sun on the horizon that shined bright over top of the massive nimbostratus clouds below covering all of Alaska in a thick blanket of snow.

"Whoa…" He said to himself as the Jaeger approached the clouds and quickly dropped inside of their grey-ish fluff, preparing himself for his final approach to the ground below. In less than a minute he would be in radio range of the Federal command post from which he would receive his orders, but for the time being his most important task was to further slow his descent to the ground below.

Powering up the Jaeger's thrusters Amaury threw the machine into full reverse as the suite began to shake violently once again, prompting his hands to tighten on the controls.

"Come on, we made it this far… don't fail me now." The boy whispered in silent prayer that his suit would hold together, but after a moment the shaking slowly subsided and despite the blaring speed alarm inside of the cockpit he knew that he was slowing down at a steady and appropriate rate.

After not much longer he regained his communications abilities and linked into the predetermined Federal channels for the operation as well as that being used by the New Republic troops directly, but as his headset connected to the machine's link he was almost immediately greeted by heavy static and indiscriminate screaming, bringing a heavy worry over him.

The words being said were frantic and too broken to understand, but what he could easily make out was that those were talking were his friends, and it seemed like they were in trouble.

"Federal Command this is NRZ Lieutenant Dietrich. Geoff, do you copy?' The boy questioned out loud as he continued to listen in on the battle which now blared into the microphone of whoever was transmitting the broadcast, filling his ears with explosions, machine gun fire and more loud screaming.

"Geoff respond! What's going down on there?! Marcus, Latty, Douglas; anyone!" Amaury asked once more as he ground his teeth and rattled the controls he clenched tightly in his hands, but before asking a third time Geoff's voice pierced through the veil of interference, coming across loud and clear.

"Amaury is that you?! It's about fucking time!" He replied as Amaury sighed in relief and tried to look around for the source of Geoff's transmission though both optical and sensor readings were still darkened by the storm he was riding through.

"What's going on? All I can hear is static; static, screaming and gunfire!" The boy replied as Geoff scoffed, walking from Margaret's side back to the screen displaying their long range sensors, which the boy had yet to appear on indicating he was still quite high up in the atmosphere.

"Yeah well from down here it's doesn't look good. Our forces are taking a beating; there's only a handful of Federal suits still in play, Marcus just went down and Latty's doing her best to handle Tegan alone! You need to get down here right now!" Geoff once more barked, but as his mention of Marcus the boy's teeth gnashed together even harder.

"Marcus is down? What do you mean, is he alright?! Where's Douglas?!" He questioned back as Geoff shook his head, watching as the boy now fell into the radar net above the theater of battle.

"I don't know where Douglas is, nor do I know Marcus' status. Don't let you cloud your judgment, Amaury. You've just shown up on my radar which means you will likely be on theirs as well in a few seconds. Use the element of surprise and hit them as hard as you can!" The New Republic Colonel demanded as Amaury's eyes shot left and right across his screens, searching for any sign of his foes or of his friends.

"I-I can't see them Geoff, where are they?!" He asked, though Geoff was already aware of the visibility situation and was taking steps towards rectifying Amaury's blindspot. "Standby." He replied as one of the technicians in the seat before him manually established a wireless transmission connection to the Jaeger above and began to upload data being sent to the command vehicle from Lieutenant Hauster's still-active Jegan.

"Here. Do you see them now?" He asked as Amaury's screens began to show the current location of not only the New Republic and Federal mobile suits, but of their adversaries as well, pinpointing them through the snow with small triangular markings; blue for friendly, red for hostile.

"Y-Yeah I see them! Son of a bitch…" He mumbled as Geoff agreed with a silent grunt. "You should hear them soon as well. The only reason you could hear us is you are feeding off Cordova's colony communication's uplink that the suits on the ground don't have access. They need your help Amaury; no restrictions, show the Confederation the true power of the New Republic and the Green Demon!" Geoff again called out as Amaury's suit warned that it was time to initiate the final procedures for descent into battle, bringing the enraged boy to close his eyes and take a deep breath. "Right!"

With his word Amaury's eyes opened wide and instinctively his fingers pressed the buttons built into his throttle, activating the Jaeger's expanded deceleration protocol as he once again focused down on the targets below, more than likely unaware of his presence.

Coming into range of the weapons sensors he used his SICOS to select each of the six remaining Confederation mobile suits before pausing at Latty's cry for him as it echoed over their comms network.

"Hold on Latty!" He called back, narrowing the Cerberus' eyes up onto the storm in the area he believed him to be. He was still out of range of the Ez-8's sensors, forcing Tegan to rely on his Newtype senses alone while all those left alive on the battlefield looked up in confusion.

"You!" Tegan growled under his breath as Amaury did the same, bringing him pull the trigger that would discharge all of his missiles as he cried out to the Cerberus. "Eat this you son of a bitch!" He screamed as all six missiles broke free of their tubes, rocketing down towards their targets below and causing Tegan's eyes to widen.

"He's attacking, evasive maneuvers!" The Cerberus barked as he activated the Ez-8's boosters once more and began to move, though his allies looked on in confusion, unsure how their leader was able to determine where their foes was, let alone if he was firing upon them. "Sir, are you-" One of them began to ask as across all six Confederation suits incoming missile alarms began to sound indicating the attack from above.

Surprised, the other suits began to evade as well, but in their hesitance found themselves in a bit of a disadvantage, the greatest of which was experienced by the immobilized Jesta piloted by Lieutenant Connors who could do little to protect himself.

Attempting to fire his head vulcan before becoming aware of the damage done by Latty's crushing blow, Connors could do little but scream out in anger and hatred as the first missile dove from the sky into his suit, blowing it's torso to pieces as the others desperately tried to evade.

Forced on the defensive two of the Confederation Jegans with shields managed to block the blast with minimal damage while both Tegan and the Nemo amongst them shot his own down with a skillful burst of vulcan fire.

The shieldless Jegan in the group was not as lucky however and after missing all of his own vulcan shots and failing to avoid the missile's path resulting in a deep-seated impact that tore the suit's legs from its torso and detonated its reactor violently, spraying the area around with flaming metal pieces.

Grinding his teeth in anger at the loss of two more of his soldiers and their associated suits, Tegan slid to a stop as Amaury's signature finally appeared on their sensors as did his thermal signature albeit distorted in the snow.

"There, above! Shoot him down before he lands!" He ordered as he boosted at high speed across the snow, ignoring the only remaining active Jegan on the ground who had since run out of ammunition and was little threat compared to the boy coming towards them.

As instructed the other Confederation units began to fire up into the clouds as the Jaeger continued its fall causing the boy inside to narrow his eyes as he sensed the incoming fire. Straightening himself out behind his shield as the bullets and bolts began to strike it he progressed to the last phase of his landing module's flight plan and was suddenly jarred back as from his shoulder armor and the rear of his waist deployed three large parachutes which in conjunction with his thrusters began to rapidly slow him to a safe speed to land, ejecting the two empty missile launchers from his legs as he did so.

Blocking the damage from his foes until the moment was right Amaury made his move; nearing the ground the green machine lifted its legs and kicked the still heated shield down towards the ground with all its force, using it's residual heat signature as a distraction as he lifted his machine gun and began to fire down on the nearest foe.

"Guah, he's shooting back!" The Jegan stated as the high caliber munitions struck at the shield in his hands, causing him suit to rock violently before being struck in the head, knocking it off kilter and blinding it temporarily as the Jaeger neared.

"Your mine!" The pilot inside called out as he severed the parachutes from his machine and dropped down onto the Jegan to full speed, knocking it down onto its back as the suits vision came online.

Thrashed around inside of the metal box, the pilot of the Jegan gasped at the sight of the green-eyed cyclops standing above him.

"A-Admiral Trevelyn, help!" He cried out, watching as the suit lifted it's left arm in the air and swung down and swiped its claws through the machine's torso, spraying blood across the fresh white snow before stomping the cockpit to crush what remained, mortifying those who watched on including their Lieutenant who managed to climb up and out of his cockpit despite his battered arm.

"Jesus…" Zeek whispered as the Jaeger's eye scanned across the horizon before locking to the Ez-8 as it charged towards him at high speed.

"Demon!" Tegan cried out in rage as he boosted forward and fired at the green machine, forcing it to activate its own hover mode to evade the high-energy weapons fire directed towards him.

The tide of battle had now swayed against him quicker than it had turned in his favor and with the arrival of his long time rival he knew he would progress no longer into the Federal line, ending their hope of maintaining possession of the base he had called home for so long, let alone their foothold in Alaska. Pierce's would surely begin her attack on his base once again and with only a handful of combat capable mobile suits remaining active it appeared he would have no choice but to issue an evacuation order, both for the front line and for Cordova Base as well.

His only hope was that Lieutenant Winters had experienced more success and had cleared them a path out to the sea. "All units, fall back!" Tegan ordered as the two other remaining suits loyal to his cause once more hesitated, looking to one another as they watched their leader lay chase to the green blur before them.

"But Admiral we can beat him!" One pilot replied as Tegan's Gundam activated its left beam saber and swung towards the Jaeger which effortlessly dodged and retaliated with its claw to no avail.

"We've neutralized their artillery for now, but it will resume and you two don't stand a chance against this kid, even if he is nothing more than an overgrown rat!" Tegan replied as he and Amaury clashed, firing at one another with their weapons and attempting to melee one another though once again neither combatant connected their blow.

"I'll show you who's an overgrown rat!" Amaury snarled as he spun around and fired his the last bullets from his weapon, ejecting the the smoking magazine into the snow with a loud bang as Tegan avoided the shots and boosted directly towards him, forcing him to stow the weapon and rapidly deploy his right beam saber to block the blade.

"Don't argue with me, just go! I'll catch up!" The Cerberus called out in anger as his two subordinates looked to one another and then with much hesitation turned and set off for their besieged home in defeat as their leader and his foe caused lightning to arc from their blades.

"Your not going anywhere, Tegan! This ends right here, right now!" Amaury countered, spinning his suit around in a boost-assisted twirl that brought his blades against the Ez-8's Torso, damaging the thick armor plate but causing no significant damage besides angering the pilot inside who struck back, swinging at the Jaeger's head but striking and bisecting the left bazooka on the machines back.

In retaliation Amaury boosted forward at the Mutant, smashing him back as he ejected the now useless weapon to the snow below and once more chased Tegan in a dangerous and upscaled game of cat and mouse.

From inside her damaged, sparking cockpit Latty's tearfilled eyes watched Amaury and Tegan's battle, her breath trembling with each hit the two struck against one another. Even though months had passed since the last time the two rivals fought it was clear that the intensity of the hatred between the two of them had yet to fade.

This had to be their last fight; Amaury had to kill Tegan here to avenge all of those who had fallen at the Cerberus' hand and flawed ideals, including her brother. Over and over her mind told her that he would have never allowed Tegan to have gotten away from him, seemingly fortifying the thought that he had been killed.

"Dougy… why..." She whispered in a sob as her eyes suddenly widened. The thought of her brother brought back the memory of what had happened and within a second her eyes shot from the battle raging outside to the Zakum that lay no more than two hundred yards from her, smoke still rising from the damaged components across its body.

"M-Marcus" She whispered as her eyes widened, forcing the paralysis that had stricken her previously to shake from her body. "Marcus!" She cried out as she tried to move the guntank's treads forward to move towards the wreckage of Marcus's suit, but the machine didn't move. Gasping in frustration the girl looked down to her controls in frustration, pushing the throttle and foot pedals forward a few more times to no avail before switching to something else.

Unbuckling herself from the tanks seat the bruised girl stood up and reached above her, unsealed the hatch began to climb out of the suit as the cold, snowy air howled around her. Squinting to try and see through the snow and her frantically blowing hair the best she could, Latty carefully moved to the side of the heavily mangled machine's torso and began to descend down the ladder that assisted in gaining access to the cockpit until she reached the machine's lower half.

"Marcus!" She again called out, making her way the rest of the climb to the snow below before jumping off into the fluffy white substance which at this point was nearly knee deep, but that wouldn't stop her. She needed to get to Marcus; she needed to know if he had survived! Trudging through the snow Latty did her best to keep walking.

Unable to see what lie beneath the snow she occasionally would stumble and fall but each time she did so she stood back up once again and continued on, leaving bloodied hand prints and streaks from the wounds she refused to acknowledge until she saw for her own eyes what fate Marcus had suffered.

"M-Marcus please answer me!" She cried out as Geoff and the rest of the Federal forces listened, causing the colonel to grind his teeth, watching through the remaining Federal Jegan's eyes as the girl ran across the active battlefield towards the Zakum. Marcus was one of the original members of the Movement and like Amaury, Carina and Tome he had grown quite close to the man, even if he was sometimes rather cocky and arrogant.

"Latty what are you doing?! It's too dangerous, get out of there!" He ordered, but the girl didn't listen. "MARCUS!" She again screamed, piercing Geoff in the chest. With little choice, Geoff ran to the seat of the communications officer communicating directly with their mechanized infantry elements holding the Federal line just ahead of the infantry as Margaret watched.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he looked at her for a moment before taking the headset in his hands. "Whatever I have to do." He replied, directly quoting Marcus from earlier. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

Coughing violently from exhaustion and injury Latty came within a hundred yards of the downed Zakum and stopped, shocked at just how badly damaged the machine was. Both arms and the head had been badly mauled as had most of the Torso, but much to her surprise it seemed as if the machine's cockpit had somehow avoided significant damage, causing her breath to tremble. Could it be possible? Could Marcus have survived?

Channeling every last bit of strength left in her body Latty began to run towards her lover's suit, stopping with a loud gasp as she suddenly sensed an incoming attack directed at her. "Should have taken my offer!" Tegan yelled as he fired at the girl with his vulcans, forcing her to jump to the side to narrowly avoid the stream of bullets the streaking through the snow beside her.

Landing on her side the girl screamed in pain as the Mutant slid to a stop beside her and lifted its foot to crush her before being rammed away at full speed by the Jaeger which took its spot standing between the woman and the Zakum.

"Get away from her!" He snarled as he looked down at the woman, her red hair blowing frantically in the wind. "Amaury!" She called out as the demon's monoeye locked to her and then to the machine beside them. In the heat of battle he hadn't taken much notice to how badly beaten the Zakum had been and merely staring at the machine was enough to make his blood boil and his psychic presence begin to rise.

"Marcus…" He stated under his breath, reliving a brief memory at the striking resemblance to Sam's final moments as Tegan slid to a stop and stared the boy down. Amaury would surely follow him no matter where he went, even out to sea, but with that came a slight glimmer of hope.

If he could lead the demon into the defensive line around Cordova he might be able to tie him up long enough to recover his ultimate weapon with which to destroy him, freeing himself and the Confederation of the boy's troublesome presence once and for all.

"Well Amaury, what's it going to be? Are we going to end this, or are you going to let me run free again?" He asked as he spun his beam saber around in a menacing manner and grinned to himself, a bead of sweat running down his face from the intensity of the exchange between himself and the New Republic's demon.

"Come get me." He replied after a moment of silence before turning and boosting off towards Cordova, watching over his shoulder as the Jaeger's eye looked down to the Zakum and Latty once more; the boy inside struggling to follow Doctor Emerson's orders to contain the rage mounting in his mind.

"Get Marcus and get out of here." Amaury growled through his teeth as he reloaded his machine gun, scanning to make sure there aren't anymore hostiles endangering the downed Federal and New Republic pilots, most of which now began to migrate from their machines towards their wounded comrades and the Zakum to regroup. "I'm finishing this." He added before he too headed off towards Cordova, hellbent on ending their fight once and for all.

As the chase continued the two sparring suits moved further and further away from the Federal frontline towards Cordova, eventually leading to the Dubisar as it stood motionless in place even after the time that had passed.

Using it as cover to break up Amaury's attacks Tegan spun around it and punched its back in a sort of dig at the pilot who chased him as he passed by. "I'll be back for you." He taunted with a laugh as Amaury scowled and fired his weapon to ward off the Cerberus, sliding to a stop next to Douglas' suit.

"Get away from him!" He growled as Tegan once again laughed and continued off into the storm, giving the demon a moment to scan over the dark, lifeless machine that had begun to accumulate snow across its shoulders.

The suit appeared to have been banged up in the exchanged between himself and what he assumed was Tegan, but there didn't seem to be any damage that would indicate that the pilot inside had been killed, especially since he could still feel him there. But why wasn't it moving then?

"Douglas?" He questioned out loud, anxiously waiting a few seconds for the man's cocky reply before the fear of losing Tegan brought him to turn and resuming chasing his prey, unaware that meere moments after his departure the Dubisar's eye and the running lights across the suit's body illuminated and its reactor began to fire up as inside the machine it's pilot stirred.

His chest heaving and his body drenched in sweat, Douglas laid back against his seat in pain and exhaustion, completely oblivious to the altercation that had just occurred outside other than the fact that he felt his machine rock moments after sensing both Amaury and Tegan, who both disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

It had taken him more than twenty minutes to forcefully switch all of the tripped fuses in his cockpit back to normal thanks to his injured arm and that was more time than he had. "F-Fucking Tegan!" He yelled in anger as the Dubisar's system rebooted and cycled through its restarting processes before finally resuming visual imaging to the outside, revealing nothing but the falling snow outside.

How long had he been out? Had the battle already ended, and if so, who was the victor? "Geoff, can you hear me? Federal command?" He asked out loud as he attempted restart the suit's long range communications though the warnings displaying across his function panel made it clear that it wasn't going to work no matter how many times he restarted the device or screamed obscenities at it.

"Fuck!" He cursed again, revving up the Minovsky reactor behind him to raise its functionality in preparation to move, going over everything that happened before he blacked out. Latty and the others were in trouble before, so with the reinforcement that went their way he found it hard to believe that they would have been easily able to defeat all of them, especially Tegan. With little option Douglas took a deep breath and threw his Dubisar back into hover mode, gradually accelerating until he reached he reached his top speed. He had to find Latty.

Traveling at maximum speed it took the Dubisar only a few short moments to arrive at what was once the sight of the clash between the Confederation and Federal forces, though now it appeared closer to a scrapyard than a battlefield with only one Federal Jegan still standing.

"Halt!" The suit called out first, lifting its weapon to fire on the Dubisar before the machine's presence was fully revealed, at which he lowered his gun and allowed the New Republic suit to come into the center of the debris field.

Cutting his thrust and slowing himself down to a stop Douglas began to desperately look around for the Guntank, bringing his eyes to widen at the sight of the mangled machine. Both of its arms had been torn from its body and the Torso had received heavy damage; damage that did not appear to have made it into the well armored and protected cockpit near the base of the machine's head.

Further reinforcing the idea that she had lived through the battle was the fact that the machine's hatch was open and from it descended bloodied handprints that transitioned into equally sullied boot prints in the snow.

"Latty?" He questioned out loud as closed his eyes and tried to sense her, leading him to look towards what appeared to be Douglas' badly beaten Zakum laying on its back where Latty could be seen running the final distance towards its burning frame.

"Latty!" He called out as he slid to a stop in the snow, punching his local transmitter over and over until it turned on as he silently watched the hysterical girl make her way up to the damaged cockpit door, screaming the man inside's name as she began to desperately pry at the metal hatchframe with her blood-soaked palms. It would appear that she was in a panic, likely caused at the grave situation Marcus seemed to have found himself in, and he would be lying if he didn't say that he too was a bit sick to his stomach thinking about the condition of the man he had called his friend, prompting him to open the hatch and take a step towards the outside with the intent to descend down to help her.

However, just as he began to deploy the cable used to raise and lower a pilot up to the cockpit he began to sense multiple incoming life sources from the snow, prompting him to look out as multiple vehicles ranging from Type-61 tanks to other armored and unarmored military vehicles painted in the 2nd Fleet's color scheme barrelled through the snow and fanned out around them, followed shortly behind by the Type-80 Command Vehicle assigned to Pierce as her command post.

Within a moment of the vehicle stopping Geoff emerged from the side door and ran towards the Zakum, stopping for a moment as he saw the damage with his own eyes before looking up to Douglas with worry written across his face.

"Douglas can you hear me?" He questioned as the man above once again reached out for the cable to descend. "Yeah I can, I'll be down in a second." Douglas replied as he placed his foot into the triangular footholder to descend, but was once more stopped as Geoff called back to him.

"No, don't come down here! Tegan went off towards Cordova and Amaury followed him, he can't fight Tegan alone!" He yelled, instantly causing Douglas to grunt; both at Tegan's name and at the knowledge that his rival was facing off against their enemy alone. Looking to Latty, Douglas began to contest.

"But Latty, and Douglas-" He stated as Geoff stepped towards him and frantically pointed towards Cordova. "She's alright, we will take care of them! You've got to go help Amaury!" He screamed as the ex-pirate once again grunted in anger, looked towards his sister and reluctantly turned to enter his cockpit once more.

As much as he wanted to get to Latty and help her find Marcus, he knew that there was little he could do to change whatever had been done and that where he was really the most needed at this moment was helping Amaury take down Tegan and ending this fight.

Without a word, Douglas closed his hatch and spun around, moving away from the group of soldiers and rescue personnel assembling below him before once again boosting off into the whipping snow at maximum speed, hoping that he was not late.


	45. Chapter 45: The Last Stand

Knowing that Amaury would stop to check on his ally and with no presence of the boy detected behind himself Tegan took a deep breath, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his face as he did so. It was impressive, if not somewhat irritating, that even after all of the fighting between himself and the Demon over the course of the last year he still required all of his attention and ability to stave him off; a task made all the more difficult by his prosthetic left arm that fought him with each turn of the wrist and pull of the trigger.

With the loss of most of his frontline suits and the pilots who flew them it seemed that it would be only a matter of hours before he and the rest of the Confederation were forced out to sea, just how it would only be a matter of a seconds before he was once more thrown into the fray against his longtime rival, bringing him to reload the nearly depleted charge pack in his weapon as he tuned into his secured frequency once more.

"Cordova Base, this is Admiral Tegan. Control, do you copy me?" He asked as his eyes looked over the screens before him with a bit of anxious tension even though he did not yet sense his foe.

"This is the control tower; go ahead Cerberus." The voice on the other end of the heavy static called, once again causing Tegan to take a deep breath in knowing that what was about to be said would cause a decent amount of panic amongst his soldiers who wholeheartedly believed that their leader would be coming back to base in victory, not calling out an order to retreat.

"Control, I need you to issue an evacuation order. Begin shuttling as much supply and equipment as possible onto the carriers and await my arrival. Has Lieutenant Winters finished clearing the way?" Tegan replied to a brief silence before hearing an acknowledgment of his order.

"Roger that, issuing evacuation order now. Lieutenant Winters has just reported he is almost at an 'all-clear' status all the way out to the Bering Sea, with only a few straggling submarines remaining." The control tower replied as Tegan grinned. He knew that Corey would be able to pull of his near impossible task, even if he didn't believe in himself.

"Excellent. I will be back within ten minutes. Tell Lieutenant Winters to keep to the water, and make sure the defensive line remains manned until the last possible moment; I am bringing a guest with me, and he's not happy. Ensure that they are ready, and contact Doctor Hashmir as well. Notify him that I will be needing my suit." He added, looking behind him just as Amaury's presence became clear in his mind as the suit rocketed towards him at breakneck speed.

"TEGAN!" The boy screamed as his the Jaeger barreled towards him in flight mode rather than in hover, allowing him to close the distance quickly and slam his beam saber down on the Mutant's as Tegan spun to meet him.

"You certainly are persistent, space rat!" The Cerberus called as he bursted his vulcan guns at the demon, forcing him to boost back and transition into hover mode once again as the two exchanged fire from their primary weapons back and forth.

"It is said that those who are the most persistent to their goals will eventually prove successful, but I can assure you that this will not be the case with you, Amaury. This battle you fight, this war you wage; it's all for nothing. You fight to support a corrupt Federation that in turn will not support you. Zeon has proven itself too unstable and it's people to violent to ever be left to live under their own power, especially if it means endangering the lives of those who live peacefully on Earth." The Cerberus began to lecture as the two struck back and forth at one another, further aggravating the pilot inside who still fought to contain his anger.

"You won't be able to convince me to join you and follow your crooked path as you have with the others. I came here to Earth for one task and once task alone; to kill you… and that's what I plan on doing!" Amaury screamed, firing his machine gun at the Ez-8 until his magazine ran dry, causing little damage to his foe but giving him the opportunity to activate and fire his right wrist rocket, catching the Cerberus off guard and almost striking him with the large explosive though he dodged at the last second and boosted through the snow thrown up by the resulting explosion in a failed effort to throw off Amaury's vision.

"Your ambitious desire to kill me will prove to be nothing but a pipe dream. You are not the only pilot who has matched me over the years, nor are you as special as you think. That sassy girl from the colonies, that angry one from god knows where; it was by the help of their allies that they so narrowly avoided death. Out here it seems that you are alone, and alone you will die, just like that sniper pal of yours!" Tegan replied, lashing out at the Demon once more with increasing ferocity as the pilot inside tossed his spent machine gun to the snow and threw the beam saber in his claw-hand to the other.

Closing the distance towards the Jaeger, Tegan swung his beam saber which the green machine ducked to avoid as he lifted his beam rifle into its torso, but before he could pull the trigger to finish the boy, Amaury, who had sensed the attack, sliced through the weapon and cut into multiple little pieces that detonated between the two of them and forced the Cerberus back.

Unwilling to allow Tegan any respite, Amaury charged through the smoke and swung his beam saber first to block his opponents before lifting his knee into the Ez-8 in a swift, harsh movement.

"Shut your fucking mouth! Marcus is alive, he would never be killed by a coward like you!" The boy snarled as Tegan recoiled back in his seat, though instead of wincing in pain his lips curled silently into a grin. His anger seemed to mimic that which he had shown before as well as the rage exhibited by the man known a Douglas, leadinging him with an idea on how to subdue his foe.

Shifting himself to further distance himself from the demon while keeping on his path towards his reinforcement, Tegan reached over and prepped the three remaining missiles on his suit's waste armor for launch.

"But he did, don't you see? All of you Zeon scum think that you are all indestructible but he certainly wasn't, and neither was that friend who died by my brother's hand! You are all weak and you will all die in the end, I'll make sure of it!" Tegan continued to antagonize as the boy snarled in anger between his teeth.

He was aware his plan was working by the boy's rising psychic presence, a common trait associated with Newtypes under stress, and it would only take another comment or two to bring the boy to slip up just like his comrades.

"Sam wasn't weak, he was protecting someone he loved; something you wouldn't understand!" Amaury responded as Tegan smirked. "You mean just like 'Marcus' was, huh? Look where that got him. He's dead. Douglas cared about his sister it seemed, now he's as good as dead as well. And then there's you, Amaury… who do you care for? What do you fight for?" He asked, dodging as swing from the demon's blade and aburst of his vulcan fire as he did so while on the opposite end Amaury's eyes widened. Douglas wasn't dead, neither was Marcus. They couldn't be.

"Shut up I said!" He replied, but Tegan once again pushed the boy's buttons to lure him closer. "Oh that's right… Carina, wasn't it? That was the girl you loved, right? The one you talked to on the radio during our first fights… she died too, didn't she? Isn't that what you spent your last few pitiful moments sobbing about when I killed you the first time? 'Your Carina'? Pathetic; she deserved to die, just like Admiral Cousland said!" Tegan again exclaimed despite knowing that the girl had obviously survived, causing Amaury's eyes to grow wide.

The fact that he knew Carina was alive did little to stop the memories that flooded back to him in that instant, recalling the words Admiral Cousland spoke to him moments before his death, and the feel of Carina's body in his arms, instantly causing his hands to tense up and his presence to double in intensity and inflicted a rather insignificant pain to Tegan's mind.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" He screamed as he did just what Tegan wanted and boosted forward into him, closing the distance in an attempt to kill his foe as the Cerberus grinned. Without a word Tegan fired his remaining missiles at Amaury just as he had done to Douglas, though just like with Douglas he held little hope that they would hit, let alone cause damage, and as intended Amaury's reaction led to their destruction well before they could impact his suit.

Seizing the opportunity Tegan immediately drew the last electric cable from the backpack unit of his suit and swung it towards Amaury through the smokescreen created by the early detonation of his explosives with the utmost certainty that he too would fall into his trap and be incapacitated.

However, much to his surprise, the Jaeger's eye shifted towards him and its left claw reached up, clutched the cord and held it there as the electricity arced between the superheat Luna Titanium-bladed fingers harmlessly in an action that even he could not predict.

"What?! How did you…?!" Tegan gasped as Amaury sliced the wire into pieces with the squeeze of the machine's left hand, freeing him to once again strike back in the form of shooting Tegan's activated beam saber from his hands and forcing the Cerberus to once again dodge Amaury's own blade before speeding away towards Cordova in confusion. How could he have done that?

He didn't sense that move at all, nor did he feel the attack on his beam saber; in fact, he didn't feel the boy at all in that moment. How was this possible? Was he using the same technique that they too had been taught to defeat Newtypes? Unlikely, seeing as it was quite hard to master an a rather untrained and inexperienced pilot like himself, but if that wasn't the case, what was?

"I don't know how you did that, but you won't get so lucky a second time." The Cerberus snarled as he shifted the Mutant into maximum overdrive and ejected all of the spare ammunition for his now dismantled beam rifle to lighten his load, surprisingly allowing him to begin gaining distance ahead of the enraged New Republic pilot on his tail.

It seemed that his final attempt to single handedly take care of the Green Demon of the New Republic had resulted in failure, and as much as he would have liked to have claimed the boy's death as his own kill as well as kept him and away from Cordova it seemed that was not possible now.

"Cordova tower, do you copy?" He questioned angrily as he again switched to their encrypted channel, watching over his screens and the demon on his tail to make sure he did not try and speed up to attack him from the rear.

"Go ahead Admiral, loud and clear." The voice in the tower responded as they watched the Cerberus' signal began to register on their long ranger sensors, which had surprisingly survived the Federal bombardment relatively unscathed.

"Checking in with an update; the hostile suit is still on my tail. Alert the defensive line that I will need immediate fire support upon entering firing range, understood?" Tegan ordered as the second radar signal appeared behind the Ez-8 on the tower's 3D imaging map.

"Understood Admiral, we have you both on our scopes now. Target appears to be a lone high performance, high reactor frequency mobile suit of unknown make and model. Is there any information pertinent to the threat that I should relay to the defense forces?" The voice questioned again as Tegan watched the suit behind him begin to gain, forcing him to push his hodgepodge mobile suit even further than he had been.

"Tell them it's the Green Demon and to pull out all stops. We can't let him into Cordova." He added as he began to sense and dodge the volleys of vulcan fire being cast his way by the now in-range Jaeger on his tail.

Moments after severing his connection to the Cordova Control, Tegan again made a call, but this time it was directly to Cordova Hangar 4 over a secure, classified channel containing only the highest ranking of Cerberus Confederation officials, including Doctor Hashmir.

"Hashmir?" Tegan questioned as the Doctor on the other line took the radio form his subordinate with a nod, his eyes watching as a mobile suit carrying shipping containers of equipment walked out through the Hangar entrance towards the dock.

"Yes Admiral, what can I do for you? I can assure you that we are quite busy evacuating to the carriers." Hashmir questioned as Tegan's own eyes continued to monitor the Jaeger. "I'm sure you are, but I'll be needing that suit sooner than later, doctor. I sure hope it's ready." He replied in a stern tone, spinning to fire a volley of his vulcans onto the pursuing suit before returning to his retreat, listening to the doctor as he began to reply.

"The Stein? What, do you plan on taking on the whole Federal navy yourself? Even with that suit you won't be able to win this war alone. You should be preparing to evacuate with the others." Hashmir replied as Tegan's eyes narrowed on the radio controls. "I don't plan to take on the whole Federal navy, Hashmir. Just one particularly annoying pest." The Cerberus replied, bringing the doctor on the other line to remove his glasses and rub his eyes in exhaustion with a loud, elongated sigh.

"It's not complete, but given the circumstances it's as good as its going to get. How far out are you and what should I have the team load as far as weapons?" He questioned, unwilling to fight with his commander over the subject anymore, knowing by now that any chance he had of convincing the Cerberus otherwise would likely get him nowhere and that his time would be better spent helping evacuate.

At Hasmir's reply, Tegan grinned. "Music to my ears, Doc. I'm about five minutes away and whatever beam weapons you have laying around that are compatible with the Stein's charge system will do. But, there is something else. Our force's retreat out to sea posses a great risk to the survival of the Confederation; the Federation's oceanic navy will be hunting us every step of the way and it will only be a matter of time before they move in for the final kill. We need to make sure we have something to act as a deterrent." Tegan explained, bringing Doctor Hashmir's face to slowly scowl.

"What do you want me to do?" He questioned as Tegan looked out at Amaury once more. "Load the remaining ICBM."

At Tegan's demand, Hashmir's eyes widened. "You want me to load a nuclear warhead on to your mobile suit?" He asked as Tegan nodded to himself, still skillfully remaining ahead of his adversary while making sure to continue baiting the enraged boy back towards Cordova.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" He replied as the doctor scoffed. "What happened to that missile being used only for targets off-world? It's target was supposed to be the New Republic, not Earth. You promised you wouldn't-" He began to protest before the Cerberus, annoyed by his opposition, cut him off.

"I know what I promised, Nadal. It is not going to be used on Earth, not unless absolutely needed. All I need it for is a hard projection of our power; enough to keep Pierce and her New Republic lackeys away from our fleet as he flee out to sea. If they follow us, we are done for. I need you to understand what needs to be done and for you to do it rather than question my logic." Tegan tried to explain but Doctor Hashmir wasn't as easily convinced.

"And if they don't back off? Then what?" He questioned, bringing on a momentary silence amongst them before Tegan answered. "Then I will do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the Confederation." The man replied as the same silence once again filled the channel between the two, leaving Hashmir to think deeply about what was being asked of him.

Despite the attempt by his leader to reassure him the weapon's use would only be in defense of the Confederation's desperate retreat and only if it came to that extreme, he did not fully trust Tegan's words. Even if many of the others viewed the Cerberus' actions during the Second Fleet's attack on the New Republic convoy as justifiable Nadal did not, but given Tegan's demand was to arm the suit as he saw fit and not how the doctor felt, he knew he had no choice.

"It will be done." He answered as once again Tegan grinned. "Thank you, Hashmir. I will see you soon." Tegan thanked, boosting off towards Cordova at maximum speed and leaving Amaury behind as he once again dodged a burst of the boy's weapons fire once more.

He had to know that he was being lead into Cordova's defenses, he wasn't stupid. Why was he so eager to be caught in such an obvious trap?

"Let's go Amaury; keep up!" He taunted as the boy behind him gnashed his teeth in anger. The suit was handling fine, even better than he anticipated given its burden under gravity but it was still proving slower than the Ez-8.

If he would have still had access to the previously mounted boosters and verniers attached to its shoulders he may have been able to keep up, but he wouldn't get angry over something that was beyond any of their control.

Instead, the boy adjusted the Jaeger as best as he could to cut down his drag, unable to enter his suit's flight mode in fear of running out of propellant and allowing Tegan to escape. He wouldn't let him get away again. This was going to end in the snowy plains of Cordova, one way or another.

Heeding their Admiral's call the remaining Confederation soldiers at Cordova Base began to scramble in an attempt as heavily fortify the frontline as possible, rolling out each and every last Type-61 tank, APCs and handheld anti-MS weapon they possibly could in preparation of both the leader and his unwanted guest's arrival.

Within only minutes of receiving the initial command to prepare for incoming hostiles the defensive rings surrounding had shrunk from three to two, with the outermost ring being abandoned under orders of the acting base commander General Ramirez. It was his belief that the best strategy to destroy the fabled Green Demon who now threatened their base and the life of their leader was to focus all of their available forces on the two most fortified defense networks, and with the soldiers rushing to bolster the front from the base he would make sure their line became as impenetrable as possible given the heavy shelling they had endured that proved successful in softening both their line and the base of Cordova itself.

"Admiral Tevelyn, General Ramirez here. How long until you hit the line?" Ramirez called from a radio on his open-topped, light command vehicle, watching out into the snow with thermal binoculars as Tegan replied. "You will see me any second General, and my friend shortly after. He's angry, so I suggest you don't wait long to dispatch him. Even if you can't take him down all I need is for your men to keep him at bay long enough for me to transfer suits, and then I will take care of him myself." The Cerberus replied, just as he appeared on Cordova Tower's sensors that relayed directly to the tablet in Ramirez's other hand.

"Don't worry Admiral, we plan to. I've got multiple launcher teams, tanks and of course suits ready to open fire. Approach the line and pass right through to the base, we will do the rest." The general replied as the Ez-8's signature began to appear on his optics, allowing him to track and follow his suit's flightpath as it moved towards them in the snow.

"I've got you in my sights…" He added as he watched his leader approach their line, boosting up and over the trenches of the first ring before slamming his feet into the ground and slid towards the second ring, on the berm of which knelt an entrenched GM Cannon II as well as Ramirez in his vehicle. Turning away from the Cerberus to look back out at the storm as he continued on towards Cordova, it wasn't long before Ramirez spotted the Jaeger as it flew towards their line.

"And there he is. All units, commence firing… now!" The General ordered, authorizing ever mobile weapon, armored vehicle and handheld missile team to open fire on the approaching New Republic foe.

Miles away at the Federation-controlled Cordova Spaceport the shuttle bringing the few New Republic personnel down from the _Samuel Raditz_ roared towards the end of the snow covered runway; its passengers eager to hear the status of the comrades on the frontline.

During the reentry to Earth all communications links to the frontline were severed and despite attempts to reconnect to their command at Major Hughe's request, the shuttle did not possess the ability to do so in the storm given the current situation, driving Carina insane. She wanted to know what was going on both with her friends as well as with her lover who she hoped made it through the atmosphere and down to the ground safely.

Unwilling to wait until the shuttle came to a complete stop, Carina began to pull nervously at the restraints she wore over her shoulders, and as the ship came to a final standstill flung them off in a hurry.

"Come on Tome!" She called as she quickly stood and made her way down to the rows towards the now opened shuttle door, bringing the expectant mother to huff in annoyance. "Come on? You're not the one walking for three people here! Don't rush me!" Tome replied as Carina began to descend the steps to an approaching transport, further annoying the girl.

"Hey, don't leave me either! Wait!" She called, carefully running over to the door herself before looking back at Emerson, who walked towards the door as well though it was in a far more calm fashion than the others.

"Hurry old man, she's going to tell the driver to leave! Trust me, I know her too well!" She shouted to the doctor before making her way down the steps behind Carina who had quickly approached the man who had come to drive them to the Federal command post and began to question him about the battle.

"What have you heard? How are they doing out there?" She asked frantically the second after the soldier introduced himself, causing him to blink in surprise. "Oh, uhm. Well, the situation is rough, that is for sure. The Confederation fell into the trap and launched a counter-offensive, but both sides have taken heavy losses." He replied as Carina's heart sank and her hands subconsciously rose to her heart.

"Losses? How bad? Who?" She immediately began to question rapidly, bringing Tome into her concern as she too reached the bottom of the steps and overheard their conversation. "Who's hurt? What happened? Come on man, say something!" She yelled as the soldier held his hands to convey innocence.

"I don't know ma'am, I really don't. All I know is that most of the suits from both sides are down and that if it wasn't for that boy who fell from the sky and chased Tegan back towards Cordova, the forward base would have been annihilated. I'm sorry I don't have any more information." The soldier responded once again as Carina eyes widened and her breath trembled.

"Amaury." She whispered, feeling her heartbeat speed even faster with worry. From the way it sounded her future husband now fought against Tegan alone; a situation every soldier in the New Republic understood was extremely dangerous, even for the Green Demon.

Looking to Tome, who knew her friend was just as sick with worry as she was, she looked to the vehicle that would take them to the front and head towards it, just as Emerson reached the bottom of the steps.

"Let's go Lieutenant, we have to get out there to the others." She stated as both Tome and their elderly friend followed behind, making their way into different seats of the vehicle as their Federal chaufer did the same.

Still heading straight towards the enemy line, Amaury's eyes opened wide as his senses became suddenly overloaded by the amount of dangerous intent being projected upon him. Gasping, the boy took urgent evasive maneuvers to avoid destruction, swatting two anti-MS missiles from the air as he spun and increased his hover thrust to increase his speed, all while watching Tegan move towards the large, breached walls of Cordova base.

"Bastards!" He growled in anger at the enemy's attempt to prevent him from reaching the Cerberus; an attempt that he wouldn't allow to succeed. Tegan and the Confederation likely knew at this point that their war, or at least their battle in Alaska, was doomed, and were likely preparing to evacuate to the sea. If that were the case, Tegan's fleet would likely have enough firepower to stave off the severely weakened Federal-New Republic alliance and he would escape once again.

Even worse; if he was allowed to reach his allies wherever they may be and reinforce himself as well as spread his corrupted beliefs, not only would the Earth be consumed by war once again but New Hagen would not be granted the freedom they so desperately desired. He couldn't fail, not now.

Dodging the machine gun rounds of several legless, static mobile suits, Amaury drew his remaining bazooka from his weapons rack with the Jaeger's right hand and readied the claw in his left for a charge into the defensive line.

He would never clear the line in its entirety, but if he could cut through their defenses and make it into the base he doubted there would be much left to assist Tegan, allowing him one last chance to pin the Cerberus in and cut his throat.

"You think your clever Tegan, hiding behind these fools?!" He called out as the 360mm bazooka activated and prepared, giving him a second to take a deep breath as time felt as if it were slowing around him. With the gravity of the situation pounding at his mind it was hard not to think of how this could possibly be his last actions, and if there was one thing he wished he could do in this moment it was speak to his love one last time.

"Carina…" He whispered to himself as he spun around and prepared his charge, closing his eyes for a split second before opening them wide and plunging his controls forward towards Cordova; his voice echoing out in hatred and anger across both the Federal and Confederation channels alike. "Get out of my way!" He cried as he approached the line in a fury, firing his first bazooka round at a mobile suit that, unable to dodge, exploded and sprayed debris across the line.

"Stand your ground, don't let him through!" Ramirez ordered as the Green Demon's mobile suit darted forward towards the second ring of defenses, strafing the trenches with vulcan fire that tore flesh and the metal of their tanks to pieces in a bloody mist, forcing the General to wince from the sight in front of him.

"Infantry take cover; tanks, evasive maneuvers!" He instructed as Amaury swiped his talons into one such Type-61, slicing it in half with the middle finger of his claw and using the other fingers to toss the remaining pieces across the battlefield. His eye scanning the horizon in a haunting silence, the demon spun and targeted another mobile suit, this time facing off against a fully functional Nemo that had moved to reinforce the front line from inside the base.

"Your attack stops now!" He screamed, boosting up and over a trench towards the Jaeger before slamming his feet to the ground and firing his machine gun in hope that he could knock out the foe with his surprise attack, but instead of an easy victory he instead found an enemy well aware of his intent.

Lifting his weapon Amaury fired his second shot of the enormous bazooka on his right shoulder, striking the Nemo's shield and disintegrating it as he boosted towards him, spun around to the suit's left side and pierced into the machine with his claw, tearing out essential power distribution and reactor coolant lines before continuing onto another group of tanks, blasting two away as Ramirez grunted.

Standing from the passenger's seat on his vehicle, the Confederation commander grabbed the top of the folding windshield as he watched the Demon boost-slide back and forth, in and out of incoming fire before focusing on a disabled Jegan being used as a weapons platform; the pilot inside desperately trying to fight the hostile suit back to keep it from progressing forward, though it was clear to their field commander that their actions were only delaying the enemy's inevitable breakthrough.

He had only just begun attacking their line moments ago and he had already caused significant damage. How was it possible that his man; this boy who, according to Tegan, was no older than twenty years old or so, could be so brutal and show such prowess in piloting a mobile suit? Even if their task was to delay his approach, how long would they last against such a ruthless opponent?

"Admiral Trevelyn, have you reached your suit yet?!" He called out, hailing the Cerberus just as his machine began to cross the airfield towards the secretive Hangar 4 his Zeta Stein was housed in, carefully avoiding the vehicles below that followed the base's runway out to the harbor.

"I'm just pulling in now. I just need you to hold him off a little longer." He replied as he slid to a stop, watching as the hangar doors began to slowly open, revealing the now ballistic missile equipped mobile suit inside; most of its parts still painted their original colors, including the bright orange parts of the Stein the Zeta was molded around, left unchanged from its previous owner due to what little time the maintenance crew was given to prepare the unit for combat. "Can you do that?" He questioned as the hesitant commander grunted.

"We will do our best, but you need to hurry, he's tearing us apart!" Ramirez replied; his eyes remaining locked to the demon as the machine slid towards its targeted Jegan, pressed it's barrel to the cockpit and blew the already legless machine away, knocking the remains onto its back before moving to avoid enemy tank and mobile suit fire which had struck the Jaeger several times, piercing its shell in weak points and casting sparks onto the pilot inside who covered his eyes in lieu of his helmet's absent face shield.

"Bastards!" He growled, looking around at the amassing Confederation forces as he boosted back away from the third defense line towards the second, losing ground. He had been doing well so far, but with the amount of enemy forces at play it was hard to avoid them all, especially when their thoughts overlapped and left him little room to avoid their attacks.

If he was going to break through, he had to do so now before any more moved in to stop him. Boosting straight towards another defending mobile suit Amaury tore its head from its torso and knocked it down onto its back before shooting down a series of incoming missiles, all while speeding directly towards Ramirez and the heavy support suit he was next to, making the officer nervous.

"Admiral he's coming again, and contrary to my previous statement I don't think we are going to stop him this time!" He warned as the Jaeger closed in on the heart of the line, avoiding several shots from the tanks and shooting them with his suit's head guns as he passed by before looking up at the entrenched GM Cannon in front of him as it repeatedly fired both of its shoulder beam cannons and the machine gun in its hands at the Demon, frantically trying to stop his advance.

"Come on you Zeon son of a bitch, come get some!" The pilot exclaimed as the Jaeger moved ever close, boosting erratically left and right in a zig zag fashion; its pilot screaming in anger as he fired his last bazooka round at the suit, striking it in the left shoulder which both tore the machine's left beam cannon and arm from the suit as well as critically damaged its cockpit, but left its machine gun firing.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" It's pilot cried out as the machine fired every last round it could at the approaching suit, striking its metal frame several times but failing to halt him in time before the Jaeger could finish the suit off.

With a loud, metal-on-metal clang the Jaeger's claw swung into the kneeling GM Cannon's torso, tearing out crucial structural supports and system lines as he continued to skid by, leaving the suit stunned for a moment before Amaury pulled the now expended bazooka from his shoulder and swung it around like a bat towards the hostile defender, letting go of it as he sped off towards Cordova without a care.

Striking it's back, the force of the blow was enough to cause the suit's compromised waist to collapse on itself, bringing it's torso to list down and towards the left dangerously as General Ramirez below gasped.

"Get us out of here!" He exclaimed, pushing his driver's shoulder to order him to move frantically, but unbeknownst to both the general and his driver their reconnaissance vehicle had become bogged down, leaving it's tires spinning without effect in the snow while Ramirez watched the large hunk of burning debris above them in fear as it snagged on restrictive coolant lines and power cables, halting its fall.

"Drive! Drive damnit!" Ramirez exclaimed as the driver struggled to break free of the divot their tires were digging in the slushy wet mess, flustering him greatly. "I'm fucking trying!" The soldier replied before they finally were able to move, but just as they did so the tethers holding the GM's body upright snapped and the suit began to fall once more as the general's eyes widened, screaming out in blood curdling horror on their communication channel as the full weight of the suit fell upon them and immediately exploded into a massive fireball, killing both men instantly.

Finally stepping out onto the chest of his Ez-8 as it knelt in front of Hangar 4, Tegan turned towards Ramirez's horrific scream just in time to watch the explosion claim the life of his most prominent general, forcing his eyes to widen and his teeth to gnash together as the fireball illuminated the massive cloud of snow around them.

"God… damnit!" He exclaimed, punching his fist into the damaged torso below him as he did so. Another of his most prestigious officers had been claimed by the demon, and while this was troublesome enough what bothered him the most was the fact that he could now sense the boy's approach. If he was going to make it to the Zeta in time, he needed to hurry.

Climbing out onto the torso to reach for the extended walkway of a ground crew vehicle so that he could descend down to the ground and out to the Zeta as quickly as possible, Tegan stopped and looked out towards the gates of Cordova base in the distance, growling in frustration as the Jaeger slid to a stop at the edge of the runway and pierced through the cockpit of a Nemo defending the base before using it to shield himself from the fire of two more suits; it's eye instinctively looking to each before locking on him as he began to make his way towards him.

They had failed to delay him long enough to ensure he could transfer to the Zeta Stein, leaving him with little option but to remain in the antiquated hunk of junk he had found himself destined to fight in. "Fucking hell!" He cursed, sliding into the open hatch of the Mutant as the Jaeger rushed down the runway, tearing into a squadron of grounded FF-S3DF Saberfish as well as several ground vehicles as he before turning the entirety of his focus back on the Cerberus as he boosted back just in time to avoid a swipe of the machine's claw.

"Tegan!" Amaury growled, spinning to recover as Tegan fired upon him with his vulcans, striking at his shoulder armor as he darted in and out of buildings to defend itself from the slew of incoming missiles and assorted other munitions being thrown it's way.

"You've ruined everything and I'm fucking sick of hearing that voice of yours!" The Cerberus yelled, picking up the destroyed Nemo's 90mm machine gun and firing it as he sped down the runway after the Jaeger, passing by both of his supporting mobile suits and locking beam sabers with the machine momentarily before backing away to allow a volley of his allies fire to come through, though none of it resulted in damaged to the enemy.

"Give it up, Tegan! All you're doing is getting the men and women who blindly follow you killed! You can't win, your just throwing their lives away!" Amaury warned as he boosted back and up onto the roof of what was likely a reinforced supply warehouse that had been severely damaged by Pierce's barrage, ignoring the anti-mobile suit missile teams scrambling around his feet as he did so.

Reaching the end of the roof he slid off and down to a road below, crushing a Type-61 tank before destroying two others with his vulcans as Tegan flew between the two buildings to intercept him.

"You are the one throwing their lives away is you, Demon. These men and women are fighting for what they believe in; what they know is right." He scowled, dodging the swing of Amaury's blade and striking back with his own, cutting the armor from his left shoulder before sliding back out onto the runway and leading Amaury towards the two combat active suits on the tarmac.

"The only thing I am guilty of is not killing you when I first had the chance. I underestimated you and let you get the upper hand, and because of it many of the people I cared so much about are dead. I won't make that mistake again!" Tegan continued as Amaury scowled, dodging the fire from the Nemo and the Jegan before him as he followed closely behind their leader.

"You still think this is all our fault?! The Federation pushed us to this… to form the Movement, to take back Side 3 and liberate those who wanted to be free from their rule… don't you get it?!" He questioned out loud, cutting sharply in reverse to avoid a surprise swing the the Ez-8 and the subsequent burst of fire from the weapon in the suit's other hand, prompting Amaury to strike the weapon several times with his vulcans to disable it.

"And once more I say to you that those who live in space are destined to be subservient to those on Earth and my reformed era of the dying Federation. There is no room for any other loyalty or faction, and soon everyone in the Earth sphere will see this truth; a truth that you will not live to see." Tegan replied, discarding the weapon in hand once again and drawing his second and final beam saber, locking against the Jaeger before pushing him back, bringing both suits to slide away from each other and the pilots inside to stared one another down.

Even with his position failing and the Confederation crumbling, Tegan remained convinced that his way was set on the path of righteousness and that his infallible quest for control was in the best interest of all humanity, making it very clear to Amaury that there was little need for any more words between them; their time of judgment had come, and this would be the final decision as to who lived and who died. "Enough talking!" Amaury growled, charging his boosters as Tegan's eyes narrowed and his grin widened. "Fine by me, Demon. Give me all you've got."

With his words Amaury charged at the Ez-8 at maximum speed, committing every bit of energy and thrust the machine was capable of producing forward towards his foe as Tegan did the same; the two suits clashing over and over again at one another across the open runways of Cordova's airstip as all of those around watched on in amazement.

So rapid and intense were their exchanges that it seemed nearly impossible to focus on a single suit for more than a moment or two, let alone land a lock on their target. "These two are monster. Acting and reacting so quick we can't even see them; how is it even possible that their body's can survive such force? " One of the soldiers on the ground said aloud as he attempted to catch the Jaeger in a missile lock to no avail, leadinging the soldier beside him to shake his head.

"They are Newtypes, Micah… a very real iteration of the word monster and the next phase of human evolution amongst the stars. They are made for these types of encounters, though I'm sure the amount of stress on them is still great." He replied, watching their leader skillfully dodge and counter each move his foe made, though for each parry and strike came another from the Zeon antique he faced with increased ferocity, as did the difficulty in dodging.

"Newtypes? I thought their powers were nothing but myths and rumors. Isn't that what they taught us in the academy?" The first soldier asked again as his friend shook his head; his eyes focused forward at the deadly flurry before them. They had hit each other several times by now, trading damage back and forth, tearing antennas from heads, protective armor from joints and damaging crucial avionics and robotics, though neither machine seemed any closer to yielding.

Grunting at the rough impact of the Jaeger's elbow to his cockpit, Tegan swung both of his sabers down onto his foe's while simultaneously making sure to remain out of reach of his claw, causing electricity to arc from the blade as Amaury struggled to hold his foe back.

"You've improved exponentially since we first fought, you know that, Amaury? You were but a fledgling traitor back in the Shoals of Loum, but now you've grown into quite the opponent; a real Char Aznable of the New Republic. Quite the prestigious title for what it's worth, while it's worth it." The Cerberus stated, bringing Amaury to grunt.

"I'm not Char… I never wanted to be… you don't get that. I did this for the people that lived in Dresden and the colonies. The people the Federation forgot... it was all for them!" He replied, trying his best to ignore the warning about just how much pressure on the suit's frame he was exerting holding Tegan back, pushing the Jaeger even further as he broke free of Tegan's blade.

Boosting full speed to the side and then forward towards his foe, Amaury lifted his claw to pierce the Ez-8's cockpit as he kept out a hellish scream, but much to his dismay just as he did so the Mutant's leg flew towards him in a boost-assisted kick, striking him in the cockpit and sending the suit backwards towards Hangar 4; an attack that despite his best efforts Amaury could not lessen, resulting in the boy slamming against the reinforced doors with such tremendous force that as the boy inside slammed into the back of his seat his SICOS experienced a temporary break in connection, causing a brief spike in his psychic presence as well as the suit to fall to a knee.

"G-Guah..." Amaury exclaimed as he closed his eyes tightly at the sudden sharp headache that pierced his mind and worsened by the screaming alarm in his cockpit that signaled his temporary synchronization error with the SICOS' mainframe, leaving him stunned and immobile as Tegan laughed.

"The people the Federation forgot? What a joke." He mocked as the Jaeger began to lift itself up, only to be slammed back into the hangar doors and then back down by the Mutant boosted into him, once more slamming the boy around. Gasping in pain the boy opened his eyes and could tell almost immediately that the blood vessels in his left eye had burst, angering him further as he struggled to mentally connect back into his suit, though his opponent once again began to taunt him.

"Those people were the ones who started the great war thirty years ago and are the reason why conflict has persisted so long after. They weren't forgotten, they were being punished, and their continued resistance has earned them more punishment to come." He added, causing Amaury to growl as he re-established his connection to the Jaeger and immediately swung his claw towards the Cerberus, though before it could strike Tegan stepped back, avoided the swing and countered by kneeing the Jaeger again, this time denting in the cockpit door and setting all of the machine's alarms off at once.

"Give it a rest boy, it's over. You've lost. It seems that we finally know who was meant to live, and who will die." Tegan snarled as his battered rival panted, trying to focus on his foe and the two suits that slid to a stop beside him as blood now ran from his nose as well, concerning him further.

"No..." He grunted, desperately trying his best to come up with a plan. He was pinned in, outnumbered and injured. If he could break free he could at least dictate the terms on which they fought and allow himself the opportunity to gain the upper hand, but it would be difficult with only one sturmfaust and melee weapons remaining. Whatever he did, he had to do it fast he couldn't let it end here; he couldn't let him win!

"I-It's not over yet..." Amaury again mumbled as his grip on both throttles tightened in his shaky hands and his mind projected multiple plans of action that Tegan could feel, leading him to scoff.

"You really don't know when to give up, do you?" The Cerberus asked as suddenly another's psychic presence filled the air, followed shortly be the man's voice.

"He sure doesn't, and you have no idea how much that pisses me off!" The voice exclaimed in a static-filled transmission that led both the Demon and the Cerberus to look out towards the same base entrance they had entered not long before where now the lumbering silhouette of the Dubisar appeared; it's grey paint sprayed with damage and fouling likely accumulated during its own fight to break through the defenses outside.

"Douglas!" Amaury gasped with a small grin as the suit began to make its way across the runway towards them causing Tegan to grunt in annoyance. He hadn't expected the machine approaching them or the pilot inside to recover from his ambush so soon, though his presence there showed that their line must have truly been diminished well beyond safe limits, especially since much of the damage strewn across his suit had certainly not been from their fight.

"I heard your ass needed saving!" Douglas laughed as he formed a communication's patch to Amaury, making sure to flip him off the second that they were visible to one another and causing the Cerberus to scowl in annoyance. In his antiquated and damaged Dom the pirate would not be much of his fight alone, but two of them against him would prove challenging, if not time consuming and a great annoyance.

"Kill him!" Tegan ordered his wingmen, bringing the two suits to turn and move to intercept the oncoming Dom, thought as they approached both were quickly dispatched by the lumbering machine; the one armed Jegan blasted to bits with Douglas' shotgun before he moved in and bisecting the Nemo down the middle with the heatrod in his opposite hand, freeing him to converge on Amaury and Tegan unopposed.

Seeing this, Tegan growled and boosted away from the Jaeger as it once again swiped towards him, drawing the two of them into a chase across the runway as he muted his radio and turned to Amaury, using hand signs to instruct him to do the same. "Are you still capable of fighting?" Douglas asked as they fell into formation next to one another, leading Amaury to look to him and nod.

"A little banged up, but I can continue. What about you? When you didn't answer me before I thought for sure something had happened." The boy replied, making Douglas smirk as he pumped another round into the chamber of his Jagdgewehr.

"Your eye doesn't look too good, but you'll have to suck it up. Don't go blind though; I'll never hear the end of it from that lover of yours." He replied with a smirk before it faded. "I'm not dead yet, no matter how much you hoped. He got me all worked up and tricked me into falling for a shock attack that disabled my suit, after he cut out my long range communications." Douglas added as Amaury, remembering an attempt by the Cerberus to do the same to him, hummed in thought.

"He did the same to me, but luckily I managed to avoid it; something he wasn't too happy about." The boy replied, looking back into their feed at Douglas stared at him. "Are you using your abilities?" He questioned, feeling the mighty presence of the boy's mind on his, to which Amaury shook his head.

"I don't know, I can't tell when they are active. But what I do know is that it is not like Tegan to be so easily struck, nor be as upset about it as he was." He replied, staring at Douglas for a moment as the ex-pirate formed a wide grin that stretched across his bloodied face from ear to ear.

"I'd say they are active then, alright. Tegan is a strong Newtype who is in-touch with his abilities and able to copy others at will to gain an advantage. If you were able to disrupt those abilities and strike, and if he really was distraught over it, I would say it's working." Douglas finally said as his attention redirected out towards the fleeing Cerberus.

"Now's the time to strike, let's finish this. You go right, I'll go left. Sound good?" He asked as Amaury nodded and readied his beam saber and heat claw once more. "Let's go!"

Moving into formation on each side of the Cerberus as they darted towards the fleet of ships in the harbor, Amaury and Douglas listened as Tegan chuckled in a tone that showed little worry or stress, despite how the pilot actually felt given his rapidly deteriorating standing.

"Honestly, I did not expect to see you awake from your nap so soon. Have you put any more thought into my offer? Now's your chance to take out the Demon and prove your loyalty." He questioned, eyeballing the two aggressive suits and causing Douglas to let out an audible smirk.

"Well I certainly wasn't going to let this emotional, post-teenager crybaby take the credit for killing the most wanted man in the Earth's Sphere, that's for sure. But I think I will have to pass. I don't think I can shove my head far enough up your ass to be considered a member of the Confederation." The pilot responded as Tegan himself chuckled under his breath, finding every bit of his response comical in some way.

"Rich. Truly rich." He replied as he used his suit's thrust to spin and lock both of his blades of the oncoming suits, holding them there for a second before being forced to avoid both Amaury's claw and Douglas' shotgun as the barrel lined up with the machine's already damaged cockpit armor; the two suit's working in tandem in an attempt to overwhelm their foe.

"I don't think so!" Tegan exclaimed as he ducked under Amaury's swing and locked blades to the two while using his other blade to slash across the Dubisar's chest, but failing to damage the suit enough to stop the pilot from hip-firing the shotgun into the Mutant as it made distance, damaging it's heavy armor even further as Tegan growled in anger. For two people who often seemed to dislike each other it sure didn't stop them from working as an effective team, making this fight all the more dangerous.

"Even for a pirate a two-on-one fight is dishonorable." He grumbled as his eyes caught their first glimpse of the harbor at the foot of the runway, where already some of their naval vessels had begun to make their way out to sea to utilize their newly cleared route to safety, but where many more remained docked as they continued to be loaded with valuable resources and personnel.

He needed to buy time for the rest of the base to evacuate, but from what he could tell he was the last standing mobile suit in the Confederation save for Winters who now escorted the fleet to sea, making it imperative that he disable or destroy both of his pursuers and make it back to the Stein, ensuring the remainder of the Confederation could safely escape Cordova.

It was at this point that he noticed something else; one of the Confederation's few battlecruisers had just begun to make its way from its mooring point out to sea to rendezvous with the rest of the convoy, hatching an idea.

The battlecruiser, named the _Independence_ by the former Federal owners, was not as capable at defeating mobile suits on its own as it was other warships, but was equipped with enough Anti-MS Close-In Weapon Systems to pose a substantial threat to his enemies, possibly causing them harm or allowing him the opportunity to do it himself. These weapons were nothing more but upgraded forms of the common 60mm Vulcan found inside many mobile suit heads, but unlike them these were capable of unleashing a punishing stream of tungsten that would be more than enough to finish off his foe's battered antiques.

"But, if you really want to play this rather biased game, I insist we play it on my-" He began to add, planning to entice both pilots as he had done before while carefully adjusting his trajectory from the edge of the runway towards the dock warehouses where he could use their reinforced structures to help break line of sight with his foes, but as he turned to spot the Jaeger again he was surprised to see the suit barreling towards him at high speed and undetected.

With a grunt of annoyance Tegan used his mass balancing vernier thrusters to spin around and avoid the Jaeger's swing, pushing it away with his back hand before dodging the Dubisar's follow up attack, which unlike the boy's he could predict. This was the second time that Amaury's movement's were hidden to him leading him to believe that something was wrong with his own mind, though his ability to sense Douglas dispelled the theory as quickly as he formulated it. But why? Why was this happening?

"You rat bastard- how do you keep doing that?!" He grunted in anger as he slid into an open warehouse door, dodging moving cranes carrying shipping containers on his way to the other side while the two New Republic mobile suits followed amongst the scattering dock workers below.

"Doing what? Something wrong, Tegan?" Douglas asked with a laugh, bringing the Cerberus' eyes to narrow on the cocky pilot. Exiting the other side of the hangar, Tegan immediately boosted back towards it and rammed into the Dubisar, knocking it into the side of the concrete structure before dodging one of Amaury's detectable swings.

"The boy knows damn well what I'm talking about! Tell me how you are concealing your movements and thoughts from me! I demand to know how it is that some trash picked up from the colonies and trained in a sewer treatment plant is able to do something that even the most well trained of pilots can not!" He ordered as the Jaeger moved to take the lead in their pursuit, allowing the Douglas a moment to recoup and catch up.

"The only thing I am doing is putting an end to all of this! This is it Tegan; this is the end!" Amaury replied as the two clashed between warehouses, striking back and forth as once again Tegan growled in anger and frustration. "We will see!" He exclaimed, attempting to knee the Jaeger's cockpit as the boy dodged back away from him, allowing the Dubisar to come in and shoot at the suit once more, though in anger Tegan swiped upward towards the unit as it slid by, cutting both the shotgun and the suit's right arm in two as well as forcing him to deflect Tegan's blades to the side with his heat rod to avoid instantaneous death.

Seeing Douglas' distress, the recouped Amaury flew headlong into the Mutant, knocking it back away from the Dubisar in yet another shadowed attack; his psychic footprint growing each moment longer the fight continued.

"Douglas!" He yelled as he adjusted himself and followed the Mutant to continue to strike out at him, watching as the Dubisar did the same. "I'm with you, let's get him!" It's pilot exclaimed as the suit hovered towards the Mutant at top speed, entering the large shipping container storage area the fight has migrated to.

"Left, right!" Douglas ordered as once more they moved to flank the Cerberus, who by now had begun to panic. "This game ends now…" He snarled under his breath as his hands tightly gripped the Mutant's throttles and prepared for what was to come. Each attack from the Demon that he was able to sense had to count for something; each counter harsh and deadly. If he was going to emerge victorious, there was no other way.

"COME GET ME!" He screamed as he supercharged his rear boosters and moved towards the two enemies as they split to flank, peppering the Jaeger with 60mm fire to distract him as with his right hand he grabbed a CONEX box from its place neatly stacked atop others and whipped it at the Dubisar, forcing the machine to cut it in half with its only remaining weapon.

As this occurred Tegan swiftly redirected his attention to his left, dodging the Jaeger's beam saber and claw and striking with his own before losing the blade in his right arm to vulcan fire. Enraged, Tegan quickly tossed the overloading beam saber aside towards the Dubisar to further delay his approach by the resulting explosion and violently reached forward, grabbed and tore the left coolant hose from under the Jaeger's torso, spraying coolant across both suits as Amaury ground his teeth together.

Screaming in anger, Amaury slashed the Mutant's chest and backed away swiftly, clearing the way for Douglas to approach with his oversize heatrod from behind. "NOW DOUGLAS!" He yelled as his wingman did the same, swinging his weapon down towards the machine's back.

Sensing the critical and likely fatal blow, Tegan's eyes opened wide as he allowed his instincts to take hold in a last ditch effort to save his own life. Swiping up and behind him, Tegan severed the Dubisar's remaining arm before swooping down and tearing both legs from the machine in one fell swoop.

"NO!" Douglas cried out as his machine plummeted to the snow below with a super heavy bang, crushing shipping containers and vehicles below it while the heat rod fell onto the Mutant's back.

Moving fast Tegan grabbed the rapidly cooling weapon and tossed it away before it could do little more than damage his large reactor's housing and moved away from the disabled suit and out towards the harbor, following his original plan.

"That's one!" He exclaimed as sweat poured down his face, watching as the Jaeger slid to a stop beside the Dubisar behind him and the pilots called to one another.

"Douglas!" Amaury gasped as Douglas repeatedly punched the keyboards before him in anger. "Don't worry about me, go! Go! Kill that MOTHERFUCKER!" He screamed, causing Amaury's eyes to dart back to the fleeing Mutant. Without hesitation, he immediately charged off through the maze of harbor structures towards the waterline where their final battle would be fought.

Immediately spotting the warship, Tegan boosted straight through the final area of the harbor and out onto the bay towards the _Independence_ while simultaneously hailing it's captain on their frequency.

"CCN _Independence_ this is Admiral Trevelyn. I'm inbound to you with a hostile mobile suit on my tail; requesting immediate close range fire support, over." He called out and not long afterward received the reply he had been hoping for.

"Copy that Admiral Trevelyn, we've been watching your battle on our I-R. Preparing CIWS systems as we speak. Just come in closer and let us do the rest." The captain called back as Tegan nervously watched over his shoulder; the cockpit around him warning him of just how much damage had been done.

Even with his quick reaction he did not escape the pirate's last attack undamaged, which coupled with the fact that he was down to his last beam saber and his three vulcan cannons had little more than six hundred rounds between them, as well as the damage sustained through the battle as a whole, left him in a tough spot. If this plan didn't work, he would have little left to fight off the Demon who had haunted him for nearly a year.

"I need you to hit him hard and with everything you've got; CIWS, Particle Beam Cannons, all of it. It is imperative this suit does not survive your opening volley." He added, watching as the ship's four, triple-barrel particle beam cannons and CIWS systems turned port side towards the approaching New Republic mobile suit on their sensors, coming to a stop atop the ship's rearmost helipad.

"Understood, Admiral." The captain again repeated, leaving a dead silence across their channel for a moment or two before the suit in question appeared through the weakening veil of snow above the waterline; it's piercing green eye locking right to them as it hovered sped towards the _Independence_.

"There he is! Take him out!" Tegan shouted in fear that giving the Demon even single moment to react would be too long and before he could even finish his sentence the ship's set of twelve particle cannons and three port side-facing closed-in weapons opened fire, unleashing a mighty cascade of beam and tracer fire that nearly clouded the suit's existence and ignited both Amaury's mind and his eyes.

"THAT'S NOT GOING TO STOP ME TEGAN!" The boy cried as he shot back and forth in between streams of 60mm fire and particle beams; time slowing down in his mind and allowing him the timing and agility to successfully avoid the fire that would otherwise turn him to nothing but ash while his adversary grimaced.

Once more he felt the boy's presence increase and now he found that the boy's thoughts were all but unreadable, even those which he was sure were directed towards him and not the _Independence_ , and it was almost to the point where attempting to interpret his moves was painful; as if someone was stabbing a needle through his temple and into his brain.

"I don't understand, how is this possible…?!" He growled, wincing in pain as the suit approached and the ship's 'all hands' alarm began to blare, signaling the danger of the rapidly approaching mobile suit and the irate pilot within.

This wasn't right; was this boy some kind of super-Newtype or something? A Neo-Zeon relic the forces of the New Republic somehow stumbled upon and turned into their toy? It would explain how such a green pilot was able to both best his brother and himself multiple times over since his first discovery, but how was he disrupting his own Newtype abilities?

There was no doubt now that without a more advanced suit, without some kind of upper hand, he would not win, leavinging him with little option but to attempt once more to return to Hangar 4 and retrieve the Zeta; it was the only way.

"Admiral Trevlyn, the suit isn't yielding or taking damage. Orders sir?" The Captain of the battlecruiser questioned, turning from his viewing point at the helm of his ship to look out to their leader who at that moment ignited his boosters and set off back towards land, surprising those on the bridge. "Sir-" He began to question in panic as his first mate stepped forward and interveinded.

"Captain, the suit is firing back on us!" The first mate exclaimed as the man in the captain's seat above him ground his teeth and turned to look out at the suit, watching as burst by burst the Jaeger destroyed their CIWS anti-missile systems with the last of his Vulcan ammunition until their entire port side was without countermeasures.

"He's destroying our defenses!" The nervous officer added before shrieking in fear at the sudden lift of the Jaeger's left wrist; the sturmfaust on it's wrist unlocking and rotating a full one hundred and eighty degrees before locking in place once more and firing as the Jaeger boosted off back towards the fleeing Mutant.

"All hands, brace for-" The captain cried out as the sturmfaust struck the dead center of the ship just near the waterline, tearing a hole the size of small spacecraft in their hull that immediately knocked out power to the ship and flooded her bulkheads with water; far too much water to take on and remain afloat.

Within moments the ship signalled for all crewmen to abandon ship, drawing the Cerberus' eye as he neared the shore. "Monster, he-" He began, gasping as the Jaeger suddenly appeared behind him, forcing him to swing his saber to counter, though it wasn't enough for avoid the enemy suit's reach.

"GET BACK HERE!" The pilot exclaimed as he dodged Tegan's blind swing and reached out, grabbed ahold of the Mutant's back and pulled it away from the reinforced seawall of the harbor before forcing him to redirect out to sea towards the sinking battlecruiser, leaving him without any chance of significant help.

"Get away from me you Zeon freak… you abomination of humanity!" He growled as his eyes desperately scanned the horizon for any sign of assistance or any form of an opening or exploit he could use.

When he set off from Cordova little more than an hour and a half ago he assumed his victory was all but assured; that he would storm over Pierce's weakened forces and clear a path for the complete control of Alaska, ushering in a massive flow of much needed reinforcement and supply. But now his plans were slipping through his fingers faster than water, and both his dream of a strong Federation and the army he created to ensure its survival were quickly fading. How could this have happened? How could he have been so blind as to walk himself and all of his loyal followers into a trap? How could he have failed?

Groaning to hold back a quiver of fear as his hands shook, Tegan turned to once again strike out at the Demon who had haunted him for so long, bringing both suits to come to a standstill as they hovered above the harbor's icy water; the two lashing out at one another over and over again with an increasing fury.

"I-I swear when I get out of here, I will make sure that every one of you pay!" He growled as he repeatedly swung his beam saber down onto the Demon, making sure to avoid his own saber as well as the barbaric claw in his left hand as he did so while Amaury snarled.

"You won't get out! This is where you die, Tegan! THIS IS WHERE I KILL YOU!" He replied, striking a blow against the Mutant's head with his claw that tore the left side of the machine's face from its head, taking with it the corresponding eye as well and forcing Tegan to knee the Jaeger's toros to escape a fatal follow-up swing.

"Oh but I will get away, and when I have had enough time to lick my wounds and ensure the Confederation survives, I will wipe New Republic existence!" He taunted out of desperation more than anything, hoping that it was still possible that he could infuriate the boy enough to cause him to slip up, just as he had done to Douglas not long ago; something that seemed to be working.

"You won't touch them or Hagen! I won't let you!" Amaury snapped back, elbowing the Mutant away and slashing it's thigh with the tip of his beam as Tegan forced himself to laugh. "I don't want to touch those filthy dogs, I just want to erase them from history once and for all, along with all of Zeon's ideology and anyone who had ever believed in it! Only then will Earth be safe, and only then will I be able to rest!" Tegan added as the two clashed again and the Mutant struck, severely damaging the booster unit in the Jaeger's left leg, forcing Amaury to exhibit maximum thrust through the remaining verniers to remain hovering.

"And I'll make sure you die last, Amaury the Demon. Oh, I'll make sure of it. I'll crucify you and make you watch everyone you've ever cared about die. Your mother and father, your leaders and your friends; oh, especially your friends!" Tegan continued, spiking Amaury's presence as the boy gnashed his teeth together furiously, pushing even more weight down on the Cerberus' own mind.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Amaury fired back, removing the remaining pieces of waist armor protecting the Mutant's legs with his claw's swing before peppered by Tegan's vulcan weapons; the bullets striking over and over again enough times in the correct spots to pierce the Jaeger's battered armor and damage internal components, spraying Amaury with hot metal fragments and sparks alike as the boy screamed and tried to protect his eyes.

"I'll make sure that every one of them dies a slow, painful death to pay for their sins, and you _will_ watch it all Demon! Your leader Geoff, that girl in the red suit, the one known as Tome and your very own 'Carina'! They will all suffer, but I assure you she will suffer the most!" He once again taunted, believing what he was saying would finally break the boy's concentration, but instead it did little but remove what control Amaury held over his emotions, and his powers.

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" He exclaimed as one final shockwave of psychic energy surged through him, completely blocking his existence from Tegan's mind as the boy opened his eyes wide regardless of the fire in the cockpit and swung his claw around, tearing the center vulcan cannon from the Mutant's chest and causing the man inside to grunt in surprise and disgust.

His plan was to break whatever technique the boy was using, not make it stronger; now he couldn't feel him there at all! Shifting back to avoid the boy's flurry of claw and beam saber swings, Tegan found himself completely unable to even attempt to strike.

Unable to sense the attacks, he relied solely on his suit's crippled eyes and his training as a pilot, but the boy was just so fast that a single failed attack here could easily seal his fate. Over and over again the Jaeger struck out against the Mutant until eventually dodging wasn't enough and the Green Demon struck a critical blow, tearing the reinforced armor that protected the cockpit of the Mutant from damage completely off with a combination of his saber and his claw, revealing the metal cockpit module and fragile reactor cooling systems inside as well as signaling Tegan that his situation was at the brink of total failure.

"FUCK YOU DEMON!" He cried out as his suit screamed in his ear, making it hard to focus as he did his absolute best to survive, though at this rate it seemed unlikely, causing a sense of doom began to form over him. Was this really going to be the end? Had everything he had ever strived for really been for nothing?

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME!" Tegan again screamed as he dodged a blow to the Ez-8's right arm, making a brief opening to allow himself one last hopeful attack, and with it victory. Knowing the boy would have no choice but to close the gap, Tegan waited for Amaury to dash forward and as he did so did the same, ramming him back and stunning him to further his chance.

"IT'S USELESS!" He exclaimed as he again dashed forward towards the Jaeger and lifted his last beam saber over the Mutant's head with his left arm to strike; a move that Amaury quickly sensed and countered by grabbing the machine's wrist with his right hand, throwing his own beam saber to the side to free up his palm, though this was exactly what the Cerberus wanted all along.

Once more using his process of swinging last minute thoughts around in his mind, Tegan tossed the beam saber from his left hand to his right and began to slice down atop the Jaeger, but just as it began to move Amaury reacted in his own way and swung the left hand of the claw up and into the Mutant's torso under it's lifted arm; the superheated blades piercing right into the Mutant's beaten shell.

"NO!" The Cerberus cried out with a bloodcurdling scream as his own attack came to fruition and the blade in his right arm dropped towards the Jaeger's chest, tearing the machine's right arm from it's torso and cutting open a large portion of the machine's right side of the cockpit as it boosted back and away from his enemy, tearing crucial parts from it's torso and leaving it standing still as the pilot inside screamed.

Boosting his now one-armed Jaeger to a stop as snow flurries blew into his now exposed cockpit, Amaury watched the frozen Mutant as Tegan desperately attempted to follow, though it took only a few moments for both men to realize that the Mutant's controls had been severely compromised by the Demon's attack, leaving the machine hovering in a dead stop above the water.

At the multiple warning signs and alarms inside his cockpit came that realization that his machine had been disabled, and with that the realization that he had been defeated, forcing a loud scream to emerge from the Cerberus that echoed across the silent network shared between the two pilots.

"You… YOU..." Tegan growled in anger and frustration as he began to violently jab his throttle bars back and forth as well as slam his feet on the foot pedals all before; all in futility.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He added as Amaury watched, looking to his own damaged cockpit as he panted over and over; both from exhaustion and injury. In Tegan's last attack parts of the Jaeger's substructure must have fell on his right arm, cutting it almost to the bone just below the elbow in a spot that mirrored the scar that already existed on his left. This only added to the battle's heavy toll on his body, driving him closer to a point at which he could not longer fight and forcing him to use what he had left to make sure he was the victor.

"I-It's over Tegan… you've lost." The wide-eyed boy stated between breathes as he flexed his claw to ensure that he still remained in control of the only weapon system still at his disposal and heading towards the Cerberus slowly to finish the fight once and for all, though it was clear Tegan hadn't seen it that way nor was he ready to admit defeat.

"No! NO! I won't be defeated by some colony rat! I WON'T LOSE TO YOU!" Tegan continued to scream as he turned to his right towards the Mutant's functions panel to conduct a full control system reboot, but before he could do so the suit began to warn of a critical failure in the Mutant's reactor and before him emerged a display warning of the reactor's output as it plummeted quickly towards zero from it's previously rather high kilowatt rating.

As power began to fade from the machine so did it's clearance from the water, peaking Amaury's interest as he stopped advancing on the suit and watched as moments later it began to touch the waterline before slowly starting to descend past it.

Sensing the reality of his impending loss and unable to force his suit to react, Tegan turned his attention back to his adversary as tears of hatred formed in his eyes while his hands subconsciously tugged at the Mutant's controls in the hope that the machine would somehow regain control.

"Damn you… curse you!" The Cerberus choked out as he remained focused on the Jaeger; it's static, lurking pose seemingly mocking him as his hopes and ambitions drowned, both metaphorically as well as quite literally. How could this have been the outcome? He had run all of the math, placed all the proper contingencies; his whole life he had done nothing but study and train.

Yet here this boy was; an untrained, unlearned tool dragged from the bottom of the gutter by a fleeting fragment of a fallen empire that had seemingly been given the key to victory by the gods themselves. It wasn't fair!

"You… you've doomed us all… Earth, humanity..." He added as the water reached the suit's knees and began to boil from the heat around it's boosters as they continued to fight gravity keeping the mutant afloat. "YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING YOU… YOU FUCKING RAT!" Tegan again screamed, breaking Amaury's silence.

"The only person who ruined everything was you Tegan. Above everything between us, I was willing to accept that you were just doing your job… your duty. But when you chose to attack Pharos… when you killed all of those innocent people… you became something other than a soldier, something you hated, and a symbol of the very corruption you fought against. You put your beliefs above your orders and your needs above those of your people, you… you and your brother, Delacout… Cousland..." He began to reply before grunting in pain. His adrenaline was wearing down and with it came the sharp, burning pain in the multiple lacerations and dark bruises across his flesh, especially the deep wound on his arm that he now held to keep from gushing blood across his cockpit.

"Ngg… the Earth isn't doomed, and neither is humanity. Without you peace will be allowed to resume and humanity will prosper once again, as will the relationship between the New Republic and Earth Federation. This… this isn't the end. It's just the beginning." Amaury replied as the irate Cerberus scoffed.

"Don't talk to ME about duty, and don't you DARE say their names, YOU LITTLE SHIT! Y-You are nothing but an insignificant, inhuman weapon being used by yet another Neo-Zeon dictator in an attempt to destroy life on Earth. My brother… Admiral Cousland… they were a million times more human than you will ever be, as was every one of my men you have slaughtered over the past year! They were the ones who deserved life, not you and your band of thieves and murders!" Tegan continued as water now began to enter the lowest portions of the Mutant's torso, likely the result of all of damage done across its body, circumventing the waterproofing built into its core structure.

Seeing the water gathering at his feet, Tegan unbuckled himself from his chair and stood atop it to try and open the hatch to exit the sinking machine, but as he unlatched it and attempted to lift it up he was surprised to find that he couldn't. Over the course of the battle it seemed that a piece of the Mutant's head had fallen off and lodged itself atop of the hatch between the two sides of its hinges; a piece much too heavy for the exhausted Cerberus to open, even with his biomechanical arm.

He was trapped; there was no hope of escape, no light at the end of the tunnel. It was over.

Defeated, Tegan slid back down into his seat as his eyes began to well up and spill over with tears, his gaze locking to the haunting figure before him.

"You… you monster, you..." He choked as he closed his eyes, once more thinking of the roaring fields and sweeping winds of his homeland. How could this be it? He never imagined he would be defeated like this, let alone that he would drown because he was trapped inside of an ancient hunk of junk he didn't even want to pilot in the first place.

What would his brother think? He, like their father before them, had died a hero in battle against traitors and fiends, but now it seemed that he would be the one remembered as a traitor and a fiend, drowning to death before being dumped in an unmarked grave.

He had failed to avenge Delacout's murder just as he had failed to send word of the truth behind his death to their family back home or provide them word of what he was attempting to do, though he was certain they had already been told of their son and brother's treachery, demonizing him and bringing even more shame to his defeat.

"I… oh god, I..." He stuttered as the ice cold water beginning to fill his boots and sparks streamed out from the electronics around him, though without much hope of rescue the Cerberus did not struggle and instead remained seated, staring forward at the enemy in front of him for a moment before reaching up and silently requesting a visual communication's patch to the boy so that he may see his opponent for the first and the last time.

Surprised by this rather unexpected move, Amaury hesitated for a moment before accepting the patch, instantly revealing both of their bloodstained faces to one another as the Cerberus' emotions swung and brought with it a small chuckle.

"You really are just a kid, no older than me… if that, even." He said as he reached up and pulled the helmet from his head, revealing his copper colored, ear length hair that was now matted to his scalp with blood and sweat as well as his artificial arm as Amaury's eyes widened a bit. How long had he had a fake arm? Did he lose it during their war, just as he had lost his leg?

"This is the face of the man who has brought my reign to an end and the Confederation to its knees; something the Federation could not. How… how is it possible?" Tegan asked once more, pointing to Amaury who unlike his adversary did not remove his helmet, though his face was clearly visible due to the removed face piece of the helmet's atmospheric configuration.

"It was my mission… my purpose. To make sure that we won… to set my people free, to find a home and to keep it safe. You became the biggest threat to my purpose, and in turn your death became my mission." He replied forming a brief, awkward silence that broke as the systems inside of the Mutant began to fail faster; its master control unit trying it's best to compensated for it's reactor reach critically low output as Tegan laughed.

"Fuck you, Amaury." He replied in a harsh tone at the end of his chuckle as demeanor once again changed, clenched his fists and gnashing his teeth as the water made its way up to his waist.

"Fuck you, and all those who call the New Republic home. I will get you all for this one day, I swear it. Do you hear me demon? I will-" He began to yell as the suit's reactor finally seized and all systems inside lost power, disconnecting the two pilots without warning while outside the Mutant's thrusters ceased their desperate struggle to keep the suit afloat.

Almost instantly the Mutant dropped below the water line on a crash course towards the bottom of the harbor and within moments all that remained of the most wanted man in the Earth's sphere was nothing but frantic bubbles and a pooling film of coolant on the harbors surface; the dreaded Cerberus of the Confederation was gone.

Despite this apparent victory Amaury remained apprehensive and his eyes locked to the oily slick as he continued to hover in place above the watery tomb of his foe. It seemed impossible that Tegan would escape from the depths of the harbor, but he could still feel his presence and with it came the fear that any moment he would burst from the water, beam sabers in hand to once again lash out at him as he had done many, many times over the last year; a feeling that slowly faded as seconds turned into nearly a minute.

Could it really be over? He had dreamed about this moment for quite a long time, ever since they first encountered the Cerberus operators on their way back from Heaven's End. Had they finally obtained the peace they had sought for so long? As much as he wanted to remain there a little longer to ensure Tegan did not emerge from the sea, the boy couldn't help but suddenly hiss as the pain in his arm, drawing his eyes down to the abhorrent wound he held onto.

"G-God…" Amaury grunted through his teeth, watching his monitor as he too began to lose thrust. His suit was in just as rough a shape as he and even with Tegan defeated his fight was not over as there was likely many remaining Confederation soldiers, tanks and maybe even a few mobile suits waiting for him inside Cordova's walls; enemies that he was unsure he would be able to defeat in his current state.

Based on the light headed, nauseous feeling coming over him he could tell he had lost quite a lot of blood and with the pounding migraine that had only grown worse since his temporary disconnection from the Jaeger he could see the coming fight would not be easy. But with a faltering hovering system and leaking reactor he knew he couldn't stay above the harbor much longer, leading him to turn and head back towards the shore through the falling snow that had weakened enough that he could now see the rest of the base, or await its silhouette on the horizon.

Unsure how long he could remain in control of the Jaeger he quickly made for the seawall, only to begin picking up multiple approaching signatures on the way, causing him to grunt in annoyance and uncertainty. If need be he could try to appeal to these men. With their leader dead and the Confederation in ruin there was no longer any need for them to fight, though part of him knew that the chances of Tegan's loyal soldiers surrendering was slim.

In preparation for one final fight Amaury raised his claw to strike, though just as he was about to ascended up from the water and onto the docks a friendly voice called out to him and instantly brought a small sigh of relief to the boy's face.

"Amaury? Amaury! Can you hear me?!" Geoff barked through their network as across the runway charged a column of Federal tanks and assorted armored vehicles, including Pierce's command vehicle, who's presence there meant only one thing; the battle was over and that they were at last victorious.

"G-Geoff? Hey, Geoff!" Amaury replied as the Jaeger's feet touched down to the dock below and instantly collapsed down to a knee, almost throwing Amaury out of the open gap in his hull as he groaned out in pain. It appeared that the left leg of his suit had been more severely damaged than he originally thought making it unable to bear the suit's weight.

"There he is! That's my boy, Amaury! I told you he would do it, I-" Geoff began to cheer at the sign that boy had survived, though Pierce cut him off as the came even closer towards him.

"Where is he Amaury? You killed him- you must have killed him as he obviously didn't kill you. Where is he?!" The Federal commander questioned rapidly as Amaury sighed and closed his eyes, carefully unbuckling his seatbelt and pressing the button to open the Jaeger's hatch, revealing the column of Federal troops moving around him to the waterfront to deter any more Confederation vessels from heading out to sea.

"I… I think so. He sank to the bottom of the harbor." The boy replied as the hovertruck came to a stop at the Jaeger's feet, prompting him to release the suit's rappelling line to descend down to the ground, though it quickly became clear that with his arm the way it was he wouldn't be able to do so alone. He couldn't even reach out to disable his SICOS link in fear that letting go of his wound to do so would allow his arm to simply snap off like a chicken bone.

"I'm going to n-need some help getting out." He mumbled as both Geoff and Pierce exited out into the snow alongside dozens of Federal soldiers from their escorting APCs, the pain in his voice clear to his commander who knew that if they boy was asking for help he was surely injured.

"I will come to you. Just hold on." Geoff replied as he ran forward and grabbed ahold of the automated rappelling line while to his side Pierce scoffed. "Sank? What do you mean? You didn't kill him?!" She cried out in frustration, catching a dirty look from Geoff as he ascended up the rope towards the Jaeger's hatch.

"No… He banged me up pretty bad, I wasn't able to finish him… but his suit controls were fried and he couldn't escape due to some kind of hatch malfunction. He went down with the suit." The boy replied, watching as Geoff made his way to the top of the line and came aboard his suit with a big smile that quickly faded at the sight of damaged cockpit and the blood running out onto the hatch.

"He's right Pierce. Trapped inside of the suit, in this cold water… he won't survive, he-" Geoff began to agree before Pierce cut him off once again. "No, that's not good enough! We have to kill him, he can't live and be allowed to escape again! You didn't see what happened in Dakar!" She began to complain, just as the Jaeger's cockpit began to warn of an increasing signal below the harbor that indicated a massive spike in thermal energy, causing Geoff to step faster into the Jaeger to look at the screen in front of Amaury.

"Tegan's suit is going nuclear. Everybody watch yourself!" He called out as he approached Amaury in his cockpit seat; the stress placed on him evident both in his injuries as well as the weary eyes he looked up to him with. "Just sit tight buddy, I'm going to get you down from here." He stated as Amaury laughed and pointed towards the SICOS' shutoff which Geoff wasted no time in pulling.

"I'm not going to D-DIE… not yet." He replied, shuttering as the connection to his suit severed and released him from his chains. "That's good, cuz someone is waiting for you downstairs." Geoff added as he stepped forward and helped Amaury to his feet, carefully supporting the boy as he laughed and made his way out onto the open hatch.

He knew Carina would never remain in orbit when so many of her friends were in harm's way, especially when one of them was him, and despite his current state he could feel both her and Tome approaching down the runway. "I know." He responded, wincing in pain as Geoff grinned. "You did good, Amaury. You did it." He added as Amaury shook his head. "No… we did it. It's over."

Unable to wait for the APC to come to a complete stop as it reached the Jaeger's feet, Carina stepped out of the back hatch into the snow with a loud thud before immediately running towards the smoking behemoth above them. "Amaury!" She called out as she spotted the battered machine while behind her both Tome and Douglas followed; all three freezing and covering their faces as from the middle of the harbor erupted a massive fireball, spraying the entire dock and surrounding area with freezing water.

"H-Holy shit!" Tome exclaimed as Carina once again ran towards her love, but as she came closer she froze. Directly beside it's kneeling leg she could see the gaping hole on the right side, as well as the blood that ran down the cockpit door and dripped onto the fresh white snow below.

"AMAURY!" She screamed in fear as her two followers reached her side, though not more than a second or two later Geoff began to descend down from above with Amaury in tow, the boy holding onto his Colonel carefully with his good arm while holding the wounded one close to his body.

"It's alright, he's alright!" Geoff called out as the two neared the ground, allowing him to stand once their feet touched down and he was sure he wouldn't fall over, though he wasn't surprised to see the first thing the bloodied pilot did was shift his attention to Carina; their eyes immediately darting to one another's, each with a small, loving smile.

"I'm-" He began with a small smile, but before he could say any more the teary eyed girl before him rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to bump his bleeding arm.

"Oh Amaury, I-I… I was so afraid I would lose you, I..." She sobbed into his neck, bringing him to wrap his good arm around her back in a loving, calming manner. "I-It's okay, babe… it's okay." He whispered, kissing her head before she pulled away and wrapped her arms around his most egregious injury, staring into his injured eyes as she did so. He was so banged up; it was a miracle he was still awake, especially with how much blood it seemed he had lost.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly to which Amaury slowly nodded. "I'm okay… dizzy, but alright." He replied as she merely smiled and turned as Tome and Douglas approached the two in a less gentle fashion.

"Alright Amaury, that's what I'm talking about! You fuckin' did it!" Tome exclaimed as she playfully slugged his good shoulder with a loud laugh, forcing Geoff to shake his head with a grin to incite her not to do that. "Did you ever have a doubt?" He questioned as Douglas, whose own injured and bandaged arm was in a sling, scoffed.

"I did." He stated with a stern face, though after a brief moment of the two staring at one another both grinned; each understanding just how grateful the other was that they were able to come together to work as a team and defeat their dangerous foe.

"I have to admit, I too had my doubts. But the kid did it." Pierce interjected into the somewhat tender moment between the two former rivals as she walked towards them, her protection detail as well as a field medic following behind, the later of which immediately hustled to Amaury's side and began to examine his arm.

"No, they all did it." Geoff added as Tome huffed. "Pssh, what, you aren't including yourself? Even if all you did was stay in your fancy, heated command vehicle, it still counts for something. We all did it." The pregnant girl joked as Geoff's eye narrowed.

"And what did you do, _Captain_?" He questioned as the girl pouted. "Uh, I made sure nobody stole the _Raditz_ , duh!" She joked, bringing Douglas and Geoff to laugh as a small grin formed across Carina's worried face. "She did good Geoff." She added, moving to the side to take Amaury's free left hand and allow the medic to attempt to stop the bleeding from his right forearm, though at Tome and Geoff's exchange of words his wounds became the least of his worries.

"Marcus… where is Marcus? Latty?" He asked, though part of him was almost afraid to do so. The last he saw of Marcus was his suit laying on the ground back near the Federal line when he landed and although he didn't have much time to examine it closely he knew that it was badly ravaged by Tegan's aggression, as had Latty's, though he knew she was at least alive. At his question the mood of his friends seemed to darken; all happiness brought on by their victory faded.

"Latty is alright; a little banged up, but she will survive. Marcus however, he… he's in rough shape." Geoff began to explain as Amaury's eyes widened and his breath quivered. While all of the New Republic pilots had become close friends and he had cared about them all equally, the two men had been by one other's side since the beginning, leading to a strong bond forming between them.

He was the first to talk to him when he first joined the Movement and the one who had watched over him across their whole Journey before his relationship with Carina flourished, and several times after. Marcus was his best friend, and losing him would be Sam's death all over again.

"R-Rough shape how? He… is he going to survive too? Don't lie to me Geoff..." He questioned again as almost instantly Carina felt the sadness in Amaury's heart growing, the same sadness they all shared, forcing her to shake her head.

"He will be fine Amaury, I promise. He's strong. He will pull through." She said as Tome stepped closer to them and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's right. He's survived this long and he isn't done fighting yet. He'll be okay." The girl added as Carina agreed in turn before looking to the medic before them as he finished wrapping Amaury's arm with a temporary field dressing.

"That will slow the bleeding, but we need to get you back to the field hospital. I can tell by the color of your skin and your mention of being dizzy that you have lost quite a lot of blood and without more advanced treatment that wound won't completely stop bleeding." He advised, standing from his healing position as Carina bit her lip. "We should head back then." She added as Geoff nodded in agreement as well, looking to Douglas and Amaury individually.

"Alright you two, get back to base. The Confederation is collapsing and those who are not being actively arrested here in Cordova are being chased out to sea where, without Tegan, they will surely surrender to the Federation's surface fleet. We've got it from here." He instructed as his soldiers all turned to head back to the APC they arrived in, leaving him and Margaret standing in the Jaeger's shadow as smoke continued to billow from it's mighty yet decrepit frame. "It's over." He said aloud with a small grin as Pierce looked up to the machine above them.

Like Amaury, Pierce momentarily struggled to accept the reality that the war was over, but after a moment longer the leader of the 2nd Fleet sighed a heavy breath of relief. Tegan was gone and with his death the Federation would be able to recover from his crimes and horrible tragedies.

"Yeah. Thank god." She replied as Geoff looked over to her with a grin; an obvious sign he was about to say something snarky. "Well, don't worry. If you ever have a problem like this again, just give your ol' buddy Geoff a call. We'll fix it for you." He joked with a loud laugh, immediately catching a death glare from the woman next to him, followed by a hard punch to the shoulder moments later.

The sudden hit wasn't enough to break Geoff's laugh, and as it continued Pierce let out a loud sigh, turned and walked away towards her command vehicle to check on the status of Cordova's takeover. There was still much to do, even if the fighting was over. "Idiot."


	46. Chapter 46: Pacem In Terris

"How's the Jaeger?" Amaury asked aloud from the bed he lay propped up in, watching from the corner of his right eye as the nursing staff moved frantically about the makeshift field hospital that had been set up inside of a sports complex near the center of Cordova City. With their victory in the fields outside of the city and the capture of the Cerberus Confederation's only remaining base of operations came much sought after peace to the weary citizens and Federal troops within the city's, though with it also came a rush of wounded from all three of the factions involved as well truckloads of prisoners captured in their foe's downfall.

Nearly three thousand of the enemy's soldiers were unable to escape to the sea in time and while some continue fighting until they could no longer do so, many more simply surrendered; their dreams and will smashed by the death of the charismatic leader. Those who escaped did so with little to nothing to hold onto save for a few cargo ships, a single carrier which housed a handful of mobile suits and assorted strike craft and a minimal escort of light frigates following the destruction of their flagship combat vessel, the _Independence._

With this they would last no more than a few days on their own and were expected to surrender without much of a fight, though they would not be around to see the final ceasefire between the two earth-based powers signed. With their mobile suit fleet in shambles and most of their key pilots badly beaten, one of which remained clinging to life inside of the hospital's intensive care unit, the decision was made to head back to Hagen and the New Republic as soon as all members of the Journey were considered stable enough for the journey.

It had been nearly eight hours since the last shot between the two armies was fired and there had been little update on Marcus condition, though he knew that their own Doctor Emerson, who had been pulled in to assist with caring for the men and women injured in the attack as soon as he made it to Cordova, was taking care of him as well as the fact that even against the wishes of both the Federal medical staff and him Latty had refused to leave Marcus' side.

He didn't blame her for this however, not in the least bit. If it was Carina laying there clinging to life he too would be right there with her, holding her hand through it all even if he was in need of medical attention himself, especially since she had already done the same for him.

Hearing Amaury's question Carina, who stood at a metal pop-up surgical table to the boy's side, looked over her shoulder and sighed. "You're joking, right?" She asked with a small grin that grew as Amaury formed the smallest of smiles beneath his now clean though clearly bruised face, though it faded as she focused on his bandaged left eye.

"Stop worrying about the Jaeger, babe. You need to just sit back and relax… I don't want you to go blind." She replied as she walked over to the bed carrying an iodine mixture, bandages and the same solution she had used to care for his subconjunctival hemorrhages before.

With the influx of wounded and her prior training in helping care for Amaury following his near-death experience at Side 3 Carina once again volunteered to care for her future husband, allowing the nurses who would have been dedicated to his care to help others in need.

"Besides, I don't think you'll be flying for a while." She added, sitting on the edge of his bed between his chest and his injured arm as she set the iodine and bandages down and removed the wrap covering his bloody eye, immediately moving to refresh the solution in it and instantly generating a hiss from between her lover's teeth that caused her to pout.

"I'm sorry. It doesn't get any easier, does it?" She asked as she re-wrapped the boy's head to lock in the healing medication and prevent it all from running down his face, to which Amaury shook his head. "No. It still really… really burns." He said softly, watching as with a pout she moved on to his arm, the iodine in her hand making his skin crawl at the mere thought of its application. The solution for his eyes burned bad enough, but iodine on his wound was far worse, even with it now closed up with stitches and glued closed the best they could.

"How did _it_ work?" Carina asked in reference to his SICOS connection as she opened the mixture bottle, knowing he was already stressing out about the coming pain. "It worked well. I only unsynced once, and between the modifications you did to the Jaeger and the training Emerson put me through there was little difficulty in piloting the machine under Earth's gravity." He replied, once more wincing as Carina began to slowly pour small amounts of the antiseptic across his stitches and gently wipe the area with a fresh piece of gauze.

"Well, I guess I should be grateful for that then. At least it is helping you, even if it still scares me." The girl responded as she set down the bottle in her hand and began to wrap this wound as well, taking special care not to touch it and risk contaminating the cleaned area.

"There." She hummed lightly as she finished, placing her lips to his gently before standing to place what she hadn't used back on the metal stand and looking over her shoulder with a small smile as Amaury sighed and turned his head to watch a group of medical personnel rushing an injured Confederation soldier to an operating room.

Unlike their Confederation their rivals were committed to providing medical treatment to the sick and wounded who they once fought against, regardless of what awaited them following their recovery. She could feel the worry and uncertainty he had been silently harboring grow stronger every time he saw one of the hospital staff or an injured soldier and she knew it was for any reason other than it reminded him of their friend fighting for his life across the other side of the arena.

"He will be okay Amaury. Remember, it's Marcus. We aren't destined to go on with our lives without hearing his voice carrying on like a lunatic." She stated, bringing his eye to dart back to her, knowing that she must have sensed his sad thoughts. "Yeah, I know." He replied with a small grin, though it rapidly faded from sight.

"I'm just worried. I heard one of them talking about his condition while you were getting my eye stuff… they said he was in real bad shape and that his injuries were 'life altering'. I can't help but think that-" He began to confess his guilt at his late entry to the battle, though as he did so Douglas stepped into the partitioned, semi-private enclosed area, his wounded arm rebandaged and placed into a proper sling that belted up around his neck to cradle his injured limb while bandaged wrapped across the other wounds on his face and fingers.

"Don't." He warned as Carina spun to look at him. "Hey Douglas. How's your arm?" She question to which the man shrugged, instantly regretting the decision to do so as a sharp pain pierced his main wound. "As good as its going to be at this point." He replied as he looked back to Amaury who now sat up completely, gently sheltering his arm from movement or contact in his lap.

"How's yours?" The pilot questioned as Amaury looked down at his fresh wraps. "I'm fine." He responded as his eye made its way back up to his former rival. "Any word yet? What about Latty?" Amaury immediately countered bringing Douglas to sigh.

"Nothing yet about Marcus. Latty is alright… alright as she can be. She's taken quite a liking to Marcus. And even if he is a loudmouth, smug asshole… so have I, as much as it pains me to admit it." Douglas replied as Amaury nodded. Had he not developed an understanding of the ex-pirate by now his seemingly insulting words would have aggravated him, but he knew his intentions were good and that he was actually worried for their friend; an emotion Carina could feel in him as well.

"So." Douglas added with a sigh as he pulled up a chair from outside the makeshift room and sat down near the door, slouching out of exhaustion. "Do you think he's really dead?" He asked as Amaury and Carina looked at him, the former tilting his head to the side slightly in a bit of surprise.

"I don't know for certain… I didn't feel him anymore after he sank, so I believe so. Like Geoff said, I don't think he could have lived." Amaury replied to which Carina nodded in agreement. "I agree. Being trapped inside his suit as it filled with that ice cold arctic water and sank to the bottom of the harbor, not to mention the detonation of it's reactor; I can't see how he could have possibly escaped, let alone survived." The girl added as Douglas smirked and placed his good hand behind his head to keep his sore neck from resting against the back of the chair.

"Well, if he isn't it's not like he's got much of a leg to stand on. They can handle it, cuz i'm certainly not going to. Not like this." He added as Amaury laughed under his breath, wincing as he tried to move back on the bed using his injured arm. "Yeah, me either." He grunted, the sound of which turned Carina's attention to his plight and brought her to help him before playfully scolding him with a fake glare and light tap to his nose.

"We've done everything they've asked of us; too much if you ask me. Even if he is alive they can take care of it. He has no army, no soldiers willing to do his bidding, and the few who may remain loyal to his cause have set out to sea alone despite the obviously futile nature of their journey." Carina added as Douglas nodded with a small scoff.

"Well I mean, we don't have an army ethier. Unless you the largest roll of duct tape in the Earth's sphere hidden under that jacket of his you've got on, we are shit out of luck. The Dubisar's fucked, the Jaeger's fucked; everything we brought into battle is fucked." Douglas stated, instantly catching Carina's glare.

"I just got him to stop worrying about the Jaeger, Douglas! Don't get him all fired up!" Carina scolded at which Amaury laughed and Douglas grinned. "What, I'm just saying. We really should get back quickly. Just incase the Federation doesn't want to uphold their end of the deal. The only thing not annihilated is the Kalani and Geoff's Jegan, and I wholeheartedly doubt Naomi and the Colonel can handle herself against an entire attacking fleet." He replied though as Carina began to reply she turned her attention beside him as through the doorway Tome suddenly barged in, out of breath from her run to them.

"Tome why are you running? You know what Emerson said." Carina dicated as Tome huffed. "I'm fine! I just ran into Geoff; Marcus is out of the operating room and is being moved to recovery! We have to go to see him!" She informed the group, widening the eyes of all three as they looked to one another as Amaury carefully stood to his feet.

"H-He is?" He asked as Tome nodded. "Yes! C'mon!" The girl replied, backing out into the hall and nearly ramming into a nurse as Carina grabbed a sling from the table behind her, swung it over Amaury's shoulder and carefully placed his bandaged arm in it before taking his good hand and following behind the other two in a rush towards their injured friend.

Making their way to the ICU recovery room they were told was assigned to Marcus with little delay, the group of Zeonic pilots were immediately shocked by the sight of their friend behind the medical staff still helping settle the unconscious pilot in for the night.

His battered, bandaged body was exposed from beneath his blanket from the waist up, revealing all of the now stitched shrapnel wounds and burns across his body, each varying in degree and severity, most of which likely came from the volley of beam fire Tegan pelted the suit with as he tried to keep the Cerberus at bay. These wounds were harsh enough the way it was, but they were all able to be recovered from.

What was not however was what lie beneath his gauze-packed left eye, or lack thereof. Even though it was hidden beneath a piece of bloodied bandaging it was clear by the wound both above and below it that whatever had struck his eye took it with it, leaving him with only the left remaining.

Realizing this first Carina gasped quietly under her breath and retracted her free hand to her mouth, shocked by both the severity of his wounds as well of the array of instruments and lines helping to keep him stabilized. The whole scene was eerily similar to Amaury's condition following the Liberation of Side 3 and though it was Marcus and not her dear beloved laying before her, she couldn't help but feel the same fear for his well being she had before.

"Marcus…" She whispered almost at the same time as Tome, both of which immediately looked up as Latty became suddenly visible from her previously hidden presence behind one of the nurses. She had remained by Marcus' side the whole time, just as Douglas had said, and the hurt in her eyes was clear to everyone who gazed upon her; Newtype abilities or not.

With a sniffle the watery eyed and heavily bruised girl bit her lip to fight it's quiver as the nursing staff began to funnel from the room, leaving only the wounded man and his surrounding friends who immediately took their place by his side with Tome and Carina moving beside Latty to comfort her as best as they could.

"Hey, don't… don't cry. He's going to be alright." Carina whispered as she crouched beside the seated woman to rub her back while Tome did the same, though her enlarged stomached prevented the same stance as Carina. "She's right Lat. He's too stubborn and hard headed for this to be the end." She added causing a faint smile to come over the sobbing redhead.

"I-I k-know, I-I… I j-just can't stand s-seeing him like this…" She replied, looking up at the two women beside her and then to her brother and Amaury, who stood on the other side of Marcus; each reflecting their own form of sadness.

"Yeah it's hard to ever imagine a time where his big mouth isn't going." Douglas too added, though as he did so a faint chuckle filled the air, bringing all four of them to look down at the man in the center of them; his good eye now open slightly, scanning around at all of them.

"Good to s-see... I'm missed." Marcus muttered as loudly as his weak body could muster, lighting up Latty's eyes like the light from the North star. "M-Marcus?" She questioned, waiting for the man to nod before let out a gleeful gasp and darting forward to wrap her arms around his neck.

"MARCUS!" She cried as she buried her head into his neck, causing the man to wince in pain though in resilience he lifted his left arm up and placed it on her back to calm her. "I'm alright." He whispered as she pulled back and looked into his eyes, shaking her head as she did so.

"No, no you are not! Y-You should have n-never challenged Tegan alone! H-He almost k-killed you!" She replied, reaching up with her hand to gently stroke the cheek under his missing eye as memories of his attempts to calm her came back to her mind. "Your eye…" She began to add, though with the shake of her lover's head she stopped.

"I wasn't g-going to let Tegan take y-you. I can l-live without it... i-it was worth it." The worn man stated, staring into Latty's eyes as she froze; her voice quivering under her breath. Was he saying that her life was more valuable than his eye? He was lucky he didn't lose more than just his eye, was he willing to pay that price as well?

"Marcus…" She responded under her breath as Douglas stepped forward towards the bed with grin, taking Marcus' hand into his and pulling him slightly towards to lock their thumbs together in a sort of street handshake.

"I'm glad you are okay, Man. Like I said to them earlier the ride home would be too quiet without you." He grinned as Marcus did the same. It was ironic to him that Douglas was concerned about his well being when just moments before his fateful encounter with Tegan he had wondered the same about him.

"S-Same to you... buddy. I-I'm guessing we won?" He questioned as Douglas grin widened. "It certainly would appear so. You missed quite the show. Though, based on the last time the two brats fought, I thought for sure there would me significantly less screaming and carrying on." - Douglas replied, though with the mention of the fight between Amaury and Tegan his eye sought out his oldest friend, standing sheepishly behind Douglas without a word. He could tell by the look on his tattered face that he was ripe with worry for his well being; worry he hoped to mitigate as he let go of Douglas' palm and extended it towards Amaury.

"So you got him g-good then, huh yeah?" He asked as Amaury stepped forward to meet his hand despite the way his stomach was reacting to the sight of his friends injuries, still wondering in the back of his mind if he could have done anything to prevent this. He swore to keep his friends safe and while it appeared that his intervention had saved Marcus' life, he certainly was not safe.

"Yeah, I did… old man." He replied regardless of his thoughts a small smile appeared on his lips at the grasp of Marcus' hand in a fashion similar to the exchange between he and Douglas moments before. "H-Hey! W-Who are you c-calling old?" The injured soldier asked with a hint of difficulty, pushing the smile from the friend before him.

"Just take it easy, Marcus." Amaury instructed as Marcus smirked and laid his head and arm back down on the bed. "You don't look so h-hot yourself. Sit down. Relax. Our mission is over a-and we will… be g-going home in n-no time." He added as Latty reached out and took the other hand in her own, looking to him with a small smile and a shake of her head.

"Take your own advice and save your strength. He knows enough to take it easy. I need you to survive the journey home." She stated, looking to Amaury for a moment before gently nodding; a subtle, speechless thank you for coming to their aid when he did, saving not only Marcus but likely herself as well.

Even if her thanks were not spoken Amaury knew this was the reasoning for her gesture and nodded slowly back before moving to the foot of Marcus' bed to allow a group of nursing staff to move in to check on their newly assigned patient, though amongst them was a familiar, short statured man with a long beard and a grumpy yet odd temperament.

"Emerson?" Amaury questioned as the man stepped inside of the room behind the two nurses, immediately locking the man's attention to him with a bit of a quick snap. "Ah, there you are. I've been keeping an eye out for you. How did it go out there?" He questioned as Amaury shrugged.

"Good, I guess. I'd prefer to talk about this later though." The boy retorted as Emerson narrowed his eyes on him with a disgruntled huff. "Not everything is about you boy, I was simply asking a question on my way to see how our little group was doing as a whole." The doctor argued as he turned to look at everyone before moving to Latty's side, Carina backing up to Amaury as Tome did the same.

"How are you?" He asked the redheaded woman who nodded slowly. "Okay… now that he's awake." She answered, directing Harold's eyes to the man lying in the bed. "I heard. More specifically, I heard from down the hallway. Even after nearly being melted into a puddle of molten flesh you still seem to find the strength necessary to boom over everyone else." The doctor jested lightly as he stepped in between the two nurses in the room to look over the latest vital signs being reported back to the monitor before them from the various equipment placed over most of Marcus' body.

After a moment the doctor sighed under his breath in relief and stepped back, turning towards Marcus and then the others with a bit of a grin. "He's stable, but not yet stable enough to make the trip back home. At least in my opinion. We will see what the coming hours bring, but if you can maintain stability at least half decently throughout the night I see no reason why we wouldn't be able to set off towards Hagen in the morning." He stated in a professional tone to the surprise of the others who had assumed it would be some time before they departed Earth.

"We are leaving already?" Carina asked aloud as Tome scoffed under her breath. "We just got here. You think that they would let us stay a few days to at least stretch our legs after that long-ass flight out here." She huffed, shooting her attention to the doorway beside Amaury as their leader stepped in; his arms crossed and one brow raised to the woman in a sort of surprised gesture.

"Are you really complaining about going home? Can't you be happy about anything?" He questioned in a clearly joking manner causing Tome cross her own arms and scoff once more. "I am happy to be going home, I just don't see why it has to be so soon. Marcus, Douglas, Latty and Amaury need to rest." She complained, causing their leader to sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance.

"I'm not making this decision to make things harder on anyone, I'm making it because Hagen needs us. With our forces here in shambles there is little more we can do anyhow, so it is best we return home. They will have plenty of time to rest on the flight back." He stated while looking over his crew, waiting for the nurses to leave before approaching Marcus and shaking his hand just as he had done with the others.

"I'm glad you are alright. You had us all worried." Geoff added. "I didn't intend t-to get fucked up. I s-swear." The man in the bed replied, forcing a small chuckle to slip between Geoff's lips.

"Yeah, we never do. Just relax. And that goes for the rest of you all too. We are all battered, bloodied, overworked and dead tired. As such, Margaret and her men are handling the transfer of what remains of our hardware back to the airfield where our own crews will reclaim it and flight it to the _Raditz._ Carina, the Zakum Marcus was piloting has had it's ticket well and truly punched. Are you alright leaving it behind?" Geoff dictated before looking to Carina, who had since rested her head against Amaury's shoulder gently placing her hand gingerly over his injury, nodded in agreement.

"I've seen photos of the damage and there is unfortunately not much I can do to fix it." Carina replied while Geoff shook his head. "That's completely fine, I will let the crews know."

"On the plus side our Federation hosts have assured us that the first of our bi-monthly trade shipments too and from Hagen will likely be ready to launch within a few days, and atop of that they have generously donated a sizeable sum of spare parts used to maintain the 2nd Fleet's mobile suits to us. That way our crews will be able to hopefully patch together a suit or two on the trip back. Just in case." The colonel added out loud, but despite the genuinely good nature of this news Carina frowned and looked over to her future husband, then to the others in the room.

"I can't speak for the others, but I don't think Amaury should be flying any time soon." She stated out loud as Latty looked to her and nodded as well. "Neither will Marcus." The woman added as Geoff held his hands up to calm them down.

"I have no intention of forcing any of you back onto the battlefield. The plan is to have the suits fixed just in case we come under fire on the journey back. The Federation might no longer be our foe, but there are plenty of other dangers out there. I'm sure there are groups we nor the Federation or even Heaven's End knows about drifting through space, dying for their next big haul. We need to be prepared." Geoff replied as Amaury and Marcus looked at one another with a small grin, entertained and flattered by the fact that both of their significant others were so willing to fight for them while across the room Douglas scoffed.

"Well don't worry Geoff, I'll still fly; even with a busted wing. But I still can't believe that after all of this we are just going to allow the whole Federation to know Hagen's location. Who knows just how many Federal admirals will be looking to gain fame by 'reunifying' the New Republic back into the Earth Sphere." He argued, catching Tome's eye.

She somewhat agreed with what he was saying, especially since it was their intention to move away from the Federation and live undetected. But at the same time she knew that dream would be hard to accomplish and that one day they would be found, and despite the rather strong anti-Federal sentiment the citizens of the New Republic, she knew Geoff and Admiral Krupp were right. If this was to be a long lasting, prosperous peace, they had to try.

"I trust them. It will be alright." She interjected before Geoff could answer, causing the ex-pirate soldier to look at her and then sigh. "Whatever. I just want to go on record stating I think it is a horrible idea." He replied.

"Duly noted." Geoff responded to his pilot with a grin, looking to the second most injured pilot in the room to his right. "What do you think?" He questioned as Amaury looked to him with his good eye and then to Carina. "As long as we are all safe, I will do whatever you and the Admiral say." He replied as he and Carina looked to one another with a soft, loving smile.

"Somehow I figured that would be your answer. See Douglas, at least Amaury is easy to please." He joked, making both Tome and Marcus laugh as the man he spoke to scoffed. "That's because he's a drone." The pirate replied with a smirk causing Carina to grimace in disgust though Amaury's small smile and shake of his head calmed her, making her realize that he understood it as a joke and nothing more.

With a grin Geoff looked around the room to his men and women once again and placed both hands on his belt, gripping the back of his holstered handgun's slide and the spare magazine pouch on the other side respectively.

"Well gang, allow me once again to congratulate you all on a job well done, this time with everyone in attendance. Once more you have proven to me that every single one of you was the right man, or woman, for the job, and that I could have never asked for a better team. With this victory, with the defeat of our mutual enemies, we have secured peace for our people; peace that will last for as long as we allow it." The man announced, his smile unwavering as yet another knock could be heard at the pop-up door frame.

At this point the small room they had gathered in had become rather crowded, though at the sight of who stood before them in the corner of his eye Geoff quickly decided that there was room for at least one more. "Took you long enough. Where did you go? You were right behind me a few minutes ago." He questioned as his vision diverted away just as the others looked to find Captain Pierce standing before them, her injured arm still bandaged but now hanging free without the sling it had spent quite some time in.

"Some of us have more than a handful of crewmembers to look after, Geoff. I had something to attend to." Margaret fired sternly with a glare at her old friend before softening her eyes at the men and women of the New Republic around her. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it calmly as she stepped a bit further into the room, the Federal officer looked to each of their faces individually for a second.

"Where do I begin?" She asked, nervously stretching the fingers attached to her injured extremity. With Tegan seemingly gone her mind was at significantly more ease than any point in the last few weeks but she still felt as if her thoughts were clouded. Even she could sense just how much she had changed.

At her first encounter with the Cerberus, then just a rogue pilot in Cousland's illegal strike force, she was strong, unwavering and in control, and every member of her crew was undoubtedly loyal to not only the Federation but her command.

They followed her orders without question and with great conviction, but it took mere days for Tegan to undo all of the trust and loyalty she had established over years of being amongst those she served over, turning half of her crew against her and committing some of the worst war crimes seen in nearly twenty years.

This sudden shift in what she knew as reality was a harsh awakening to the somewhat young officer who once thought she was invincible, leaving her unsure about just how to return things to the way they were or if such a thing was even possible.

"I guess… thank you. That would surely be the most appropriate thing to say, if I am being completely honest. This entire thing, this whole mess… it would still be going on, if not worsening, if it were not for all of you. What started as a problem the Federation didn't know existed quickly turned into something we were unable to handle conventionally and on our own; it's main leader formed and raised by a power-hungry nostalgic living in the shadows of the old world who had, ironically, been one of the most respected and commanding officers the Federal navy had ever seen."

"With the end of all hostilities in '96 and the nation that had seemingly been the cause of such hostility shortly after in '100, we thought for sure the chances of a conflict in the Earth's Sphere were almost non-existent. Peace had become the new norm for the most part, and in its wake many who had spent much of their lives standing up against Earth's enemies suddenly found themselves without purpose. Those men and women were the bulk of had seen Admiral Cousland rise to his seat of power and those who were without a doubt so easily swayed to join Tegan's uprising." Margaret began as she looked around, catching the eyes of every man and woman in the room, including the barely conscious man laying in the bed before them.

"No-one is to blame for Tegan's creation or his crimes, nobody but those directly responsible. We may have had no choice but to strike out against the Earth's government for everything they have done, but we cannot blame them for everything." Carina spoke out as Pierce took a short breather to collect her thoughts, landing the attention on herself briefly for a moment before Geoff cleared his throat to agree.

"She's right you know. You could have never predicted what Tegan was capable of. Cousland, hmph. He was an intelligent albeit stubborn man, but I don't think even he knew what he was raising as his successor. You didn't have the… pleasure of meeting Tegan's older brother, but he was just the same; their ideals were king, and everyone else was nothing but space debris that had yet to know their true calling." He stated, grinning at his mention of the late Federal admiral while looking to Amaury and Douglas, both of which exhaled in anger under their breath at the mere thought of Delacout's actions. Margaret herself grinned at the sigh of Geoff but it was not from happiness as much as an subconscious reaction.

"That might be true, but it doesn't change the fact that we allowed it to happen. It is the Federation's responsibility to keep not only the Earth safe but the colonies we watch over as well; a duty that we failed to uphold miserably. Despite the knowledge that some sort of conflict was brewing in recent months the Counselor tried his best to try and stop the bloodshed, but the Sides were often subjected to the rule of the local garrison leader first and the Federal council's wishes second, leading to the civil unrest around the Earth's Sphere that we know eventually escalated into the Dresden Massacre and, in turn, the rise of the New Republic. It became clear just prior to the battle at Side 3 that we could do little to stop what was coming, but we never in our wildest dreams thought that what would follow would be a conflict on Earth's surface, and certainly not that it would come from within our own ranks." She added, lowering her vision to the floor as her wounded arm navigated its hand to her stomach as her mind replayed the events that had taken place over the past few weeks over and over again in her head. The attack on Pharos and Dakar, the Battle of Cordova and the many, many citizens of Earth, both civilian and military, that lost their lives in the face of Tegan's senseless upheaval.

"Almost immediately we tried to silence his call to arms against peace, sanity and humanity, as soon as the first shots were fired in defiance of my orders, but his power and influence began to spread quicker than a wildfire, and it rapidly became clear n that this would not be a simple task stopping his ideals from corrupting more and more of our forces and killing us from within. I will not lie; it was out of complete desperation that we sought out and graciously received your help."

"If we were to have asked for help from with in our own ranks it would had surely furthered Tegan's message of Federal incompetence, spreading his corruption to a point which I am not even totally sure I understand. We could have been facing an entire army of Confederation soldiers here, not just the Division-level strength he had. The Federation owes you a debt that, in my opinion, can not be paid out in a few measly trade shipments a year, for your men really have helped avert what would have surely been the next great war on Earth's soil, Geoff. All of you are heros; unsung, but heros nonetheless." The woman finished, looking up to the group of men and women who had begun to look amongst themselves with the slightest hints of not only relief, but pride. They all knew the reason why they had come to Earth, but until now it hadn't seemed real. They did what they were sent to do and with it secured peace for the New Republic and hopefully those who still remained under the influence of the Earth's Sphere in space.

"Believe it or not those few trade shipments back and forth will go a long way, and atop of the peace treaty that is to be signed between the New Republic and the Earth's Sphere, it is more than enough." Geoff responded to which Tome and Carina agreed, prompting the former to speak.

"We never intended for our rebellion to set the Earth on fire, just to help correct what we all felt was a grave injustice. I guess we ourselves would be lying if we said we didn't feel at least partially responsible for everything that happened here." Tome said softly as her best friend once more agreed, catching Pierce's eyes for a moment before she formed a small grin and shook her head.

"I understand what you mean, but I can't agree with you. When I first heard of what had happened at Side 3, I was angry; pissed. I felt as if everything I, and ironically Geoff, had worked for over the past decade had been for nothing. But as time went on, as we came into fight against your forces on your way out into deep space… seeing what it was exactly you all were attempting… I could no longer blame you. I may not have grown up in the colonies like Dorian, but I am very good at reading between the lines."

"I can see that what was done was done in the best interest of those who lived in the former Republic, driven by those who were willing to risk everything they had to see a brighter future for humans in space take hold. And that isn't to say I am not proud of my own soldiers or those who remained loyal to the Federation in all of this, I am trying to say is that there was no true good or evil in this, just different sides trying to do what was best. Even those who fought under Tegan's flag. As much as it pains me to say it, I understand the grand majority of them sought to create what they believed was a strong, safe Federation… even if that vision was corrupt beyond justification." The woman replied looking to them all once more before taking a deep breath and lifting her head fully to a proper position; one she felt right taking for the first time in a while.

"And with that I once more say thank you; to you all. Tome, Latty, Marcus, Douglas, Amaury, Carina and, of course, you Geoff. Be sure to extend my gratitude to both the remainder of your crew as well as those back home, including your leaders. I will be departing for New York within the hour, but do not take that as the expiration of your invitation to stay. Feel free to take as much time as you need to get yourselves together and have a safe journey back to where you came."

She stated towards group before saluting them and turning to leaving the room. Just as she began to walk down the hallway of medical tents towards the exit she was surprised to hear footsteps behind her, prompting her to turn just as Geoff came to a stop behind her following a short jog.

"Why the rush?" He questioned with a grin as the woman stared at him before turning to resuming walking, knowing he would surely follow behind. "Counselor Wright is expecting a full debriefing at his office in New York City, and although you may not know him well I assure you he prefers all debriefing face to face." She replied, causing Geoff's grin to widen.

"Oh, I'm sure he does." He replied to which the woman immediately cast a scowl of slight disapproval. "And what exactly is that supposed to imply, hmm? I've told you that the relationship between Dorian and I is purely professional. He is just rather hands-" The woman began to explain before stopping at her friend's grin, instantly knowing she was falling deeper into his trap that nearly caused her cheeks to blush red.

"Shut it, Colonel Walker. You don't want the last thing you gain from your trip to Earth to be a black eye, do you?" Margaret responded as Geoff laughed and shook his head. "No, no I am only kidding, I swear. Just remember I can still tell when you are lying; amazing, given the years that have gone by." He replied, pushing the blush to the slightest point of showing as the woman huffed.

"As I was saying, the Counselor and I had much to discuss, including what to do with the Cerberus forces we have captured thus far and those who will likely be surrendering to the earthbound Navy in the coming days. There is much that needs to be done." The woman continued as Geoff looked off to the side, understanding just what she meant.

He had been swamped by the sheer amount of work needing completion following the Liberation of Side 3 as well as their arrival at Hagen, and he knew there would be no shortage of work to be done following the outcome of their battle, both in the field and at her desk.

But what he hadn't expected was for her to depart so soon after the fight's conclusion, especially with Tegan's fate still yet to be confirmed.

"I get it. But are you sure you don't need us to stick around just a bit longer? I can pull down our reserve pilot from space, and if you can find me a functional machine I would be more than willing to help out." He added, to which Margaret immediately shook her head.

"No, Geoff, you and your team have already done enough. We can handle the rest from here. There is no way they will last on the open sea without their leadership, and even if Tegan was to have survive there is no possible way he or any other member of his army could pose a threat against Earth now. It's over." She said as her friend's sight drifted back to hers once more with a small sigh of content.

"So it is." He added with a small smile, though it was not the same as before. This smile seemed almost a bit saddened to hear that their reunion had come to an end; a feeling she felt reciprocated inside of her to some degree. Geoff and Monty had been by her side for years during their service together and although she never attempted to formally reach out to them following the end of each pilot's enlistment, the thought of doing so came about several times in the years they had all been apart.

Without a word the woman reached out towards the man before her with her good hand, extending forth a professional handshake to her long time friend and former albeit short-lived enemy. "This isn't the last time you will hear of me though, you hear? I'm sure Dorian will be planning a trip to Hagen in the future to officially sign the treaties and agreements he and your leaders spoke of, and I'm certain he will be sure to drag me along. You know, for his own safety." She stated as Geoff blinked in a slight bit of confusion before his true smile returned and his hand raised up to meet hers.

"I look forward to that, Margaret. Be sure to thank the Counselor for his hospitality during our short stay on Earth." Geoff replied as they shook hands and the woman nodded, though much to Geoff's surprise it was Margaret who broke their formal moment as she stepped forward, let go of his hand and pressed up against him in a familiar hug that immediately shot back memories of their younger days into each of their heads, wrapping both arms around his waist gently.

"It was good to see you again, Geoff. Be careful out there in your new frontier, and good luck." The woman said softly to the man in her arms as his face tinted a fairly slight shade of red and his arms wrapped over her shoulders to her back. "And the same to you Margaret. Stay safe." He replied, holding onto her for a moment before Captain Pierce let go and slowly began to back away, prompting him to do the same.

"See you later, idiot." She hummed while turning to resume her path out of the sports dome as Geoff laughed and shook his head, amazing by just how some things would never change. "Yeah, see ya." He said to himself as he himself turned to return to Marcus' recovery room only to almost run into both Tome and Carina, both of which held a wide grin across their face, forcing the colonel to stare at each of them in question.

"What are you two doing and why are you smiling like that?" He asked as both girls giggled lightly. "Oh, nothing. I'm just confused as to which one you care about more; Margaret or Elise?" Tome humed, forcing the man's face to darken ever so slightly as Carina gasped.

"Tome you weren't supposed to say anything!" She exclaimed as Tome scoffed. "Tsk, how could I not?! How did it take us this long to learn that Marcus wasn't the true ladies man in the group?!" The mother to be questioned with a loud laugh as Geoff, who was unaware that the woman had seen him share a similar moment with Elise prior to her departure, audibly sighed and placed both hands on the gunbelt around his hips once again.

"Just because one of you is our chief engineer and the other is carrying twins does not mean you are above dish duty in the mess hall; a position you will both be receiving if I ever catch you spying on me again!" He warned in a serious yet joking manner, causing both of them to retreat back to their previous destination and leaving their leader to grin as he looked over his shoulder towards Margaret's silhouette as it disappeared behind the closing doors.

Within six hours Margaret was back in New York and on her way to the Federal Naval Administration office at the far side of the former JFK International Spaceport, which had now been turned into a medium sized military facility that served as the navy's major command point in the eastern part of what was once known as the United States of America. This base was the home of 2nd Defense Fleet and as such had become more of a home to the woman over the last few years rather than the based she was assigned to; a home she had missed dearly over the last month or so.

Arriving at the front steps of the main administrative block, Pierce wasted no time exiting her car and making her way up the stairs, inside and to the top floor where both her own small office and that of Counselor Wright. This building had also housed the office of political rival Admiral Cousland, though it was a floor below and now sealed off pending a thorough investigation into the late Admiral's deleted affairs.

Knocking at the large wooden doors at which a guard stood to either side, Margaret waited until the Counselor granted her permission to enter before stepping inside and closing the door behind her, silently locking it in the process. "There you are. I knew you would make it in before sunrise, but I was a bit worried. Heavy snow is moving in from the North and they are planning to shut down flights across old New England." He stated as he stood from his desk, his usually proper attire reduced to his button-up long sleeve shirt and a tie that had been hastily loosened to relieve the pressure around his neck.

"I don't typically make promise I can't keep. You on other hand have a different track record. I thought you said you were going try and get some rest on my way here?" She questioned to which Dorian laughed and shook his head. "Nah, there is too much that needs to be done for me to have an early night. I mean, come on… it's only quarter after two in the morning. That's not even my record." The counselor joked as he smiled a bit, now noticing that Margaret's arm was no longer in a sling.

"How's your arm feeling?" He questioned as he made his way around the front of his desk towards his subordinated before reaching out and taking the formly injured arm gingerly in his hands, causing the woman to look at it as well. "It is getting better." She admitted with a small, well hidden smile.

"That's good." Dorian replied as he gently lowered her arm and turned back around to a large wooden cabinet across the room that held his personal liquor collection. "Have have our guests left Alaska yet?" He questioned aloud as he pulled his favorite bottle of aged whiskey from it's position behind the other less expensive spirits he had strategically placed in front of it to deter theft from unwanted office guests while Margaret watched.

"I received word from Cordova right before I landed that the _Samuel Raditz_ has departed the Earth's exclusion zone and is on the way back to the New Republic." She responded, catching Dorian's eye for a moment before he sighed and nodded softly in acknowledgment.

"I believe this is cause for celebration then." Dorian stated as he pulled the bottle from the cabinet and with the other hand grabbed two glasses before setting them on the small flat top bar beside the liquor cabinet to pour a drink.

"Not that I wanted to kick our guests off of Earth so soon after their victory and certainly not without rest, but because now we can officially begin to move on. Even with their assistance being so crucial to Tegan's defeat I fear not all of our fellow government officials were willing to see their presence here on Earth as truly peaceful, though I guess after everything that has happened I could understand that. Many in the upper echelon remain less-than-informed of the events that have taken place over and as far as they are concerned we are still very much at war with the Neo-Zeon forces who attacked Side 3; at least until we sign the formal documents in the coming weeks, that is." He continued, using a pair of metal tongs beside him to retrieve several ice cubes from an ice bucket and place them in the glasses before cascading the golden brown liquid over the ice in an straightforward manner.

"I must apologize for my absence thought. If it had not been for the rest of the council insisting I refrain from entering an active war zone inhabited by those intent on wiping out the Federation's leadership I would have not only come to thank them personally for their efforts but to help you as well. Asking you to manage the task at hand alone after everything that has happened was a lot and I am sorry." Dorian added as he began to pour the whiskey into the second glass, ignoring the small shuffle he heard from his desk as Margaret huffed.

"I managed without you, didn't I?" She questioned, causing him to chuckle lightly under his breath. "I know you did. You always do, and I never thought you couldn't do it." He admitted as he turned placed the whiskey bottle back on the table, closed the cap and picked up both glasses before turning back towards his subordinate who much to his surprise now sat on the edge of his desk with her legs crossed; her clothing reduced to her bottom most layer of underwear and the captain's jacket she held over her shoulders for concealment.

His eyes wide, Dorian grinned and hummed under his breath, both in enjoyment of what he was seeing as well as being impressed by how quickly and silently she had stripped down to what she knew he found most appealing. He had heard a bit of scuffling behind him, but he hadn't expected this.

"I guess you really are feeling better." He stated as he set both glasses on the table and proceeded past Margaret to lock the door as she grinned. "Oh, it's already locked." She hummed, looking over her shoulder with determined, sly eyes, causing Dorian's grin to widen even further. "Of course it is."

Four thousand miles away from New York and three miles from the Confederation's former base at Cordova, Lieutenant Winters' Hygogg bursts through the icy waters of the Alaskan Gulf; it's lightless chassis moving to the shore seemingly undetected in the pitch black early morning air as steam radiated from the suit's rapidly cooling power plant and it's single eye slowly scanned back and forth across the shore and treeline, frantically searching for any sign of life before taking a knee.

The suit's metallic blue paint job had been marred and torched in several locations from it's battle with the remaining enemy forces under the sea but the machine itself had remained mostly intact while the pilot at its helm suffered from little more than exhaustion from his lengthy assignment.

"I t-think we are in the clear. No sign of anything this far away from the base." Winters stated out loud as his vision shifted to the lights of the former Cordova base and the smoke that now barely wafted from its ruins. Everything they had worked for over the last few weeks was gone; their home was destroyed, their leadership was crushed and what remained of the fleet had either foolishly fled out to sea or was laying in pieces across the frozen wastes.

"God… how… how could they have done this? We had everything… we beat them back out of the city, we fortified our base and called every ally we had… how could they have won?" The young pilot questioned out of anger as he gripped the controls of his amphibious mobile suit and gnashed his teeth together while at the same time fighting back tears of hatred and regret.

"H-How?" He asked the silence once more, though after a moment a hand appeared on his left shoulder from behind his seat; a metal hand attached to the flesh of a man who the Federation now assumed was nothing more than debris at the bottom of the harbor.

"Those Neo-Zeon rats." The voice stated as the pilot looked over his shoulder at the Cerberus who, despite having been rescued from the depths of the ocean roughly sixteen hours earlier, had refrained from saying much of anything. This struck Corey as odd though given the situation at hand he understood Tegan's less-than talkative demeanor and had dare not ask much more than for orders or clarification of those asked of him.

"The Federation feared facing us alone. They knew that calling extra resources would show their true weakness, and in response the chose to invite humanity's true enemy here to do their dirty work for them."The Cerberus added as his bloodshot eyes locked to the screen before him, focusing on the city in the distance with a tight, knotted feeling in his stomach.

With the loss of their home and the scattering of what remained of the Confederation it was clear they had lost the war against the Federation. Without their resistance to the reigning council's new regime their idealistic and far fetched ideas would surely metastasis and doom all of those they ruled over to be victims of countless future tragedies.

And for what? The safety of those living in space; the same people who years prior thrust their homes down onto them like weapons, killing billions and permanently scaring the very cradle of all humanity. "Open the hatch, Corey." He again spoke as he began to stand from his position and walk make his way towards the door, prompting the young Lieutenant to do what was asked of him without question.

Opening the hatch and dropping the Hygogg's ascension cable, Corey watched as Tegan progressed out onto suit's deck and looking out towards Cordova for a mere second before ascending down to the ground below, where upon touching down in the soft powder he stood and stared at the base.

A light, peaceful snow had begun to fall from the sky, slightly shrouding the base from sight though the large lights of the pier and the aircraft hovering around could still be seen clear as day. This was the confirmation he feared most; to know that his army had been eradicated and their final stronghold captured.

When he and his men rode out into the frozen plains that morning he did so to strike the final blow against his foes, liberating Alaska once and for all from the Federation's corruption and securing himself ground upon which he would build his grand, all-conquering army.

But what he received in return was the final blow against his own forces, dealt by those who had no place stepping foot on their holy soil and who had been invited there by those who were supposed to be the protectors of it. It seemed as if the whole universe had gone mad. Did nobody remember the last forty years? Did nobody recall the pain and suffering brought on by those who thought their right to liberty and cannibalistic greed was more important of those who lived on the world from which all humanity came?

"This is what it has come to. The future of humanity, ushered in by the weak and the socially just." He stated out loud as the wind whipped against his skin, sending a sharp chill through his body that stretched over every limb and pierced the connections holding his prosthetic to what remained of his real arm while behind him Corey too landed, rubbing his arms to stay warm in the frigid air.

"Orders, Admiral?" The boy questioned as he approached his leader and immediately found himself under the Cerberus' gaze as he peered over his shoulder. "I have no orders for you. The war is over. We've lost." He replied, immediately causing Corey to grunt under his breath.

"No, it's not over. They think it is, but you are still alive. We can still fight them!" He argued, walking closer to Tegan as the man's eyes lowered to the snow. How was it possible that the young lieutenant still held faith in him, even in the face of their total defeat at the hands of their foes? He knew the boy was dedicated, but not foolish. Did he really hold him in such high regard to believe that he would be able to save this?

"There isn't anything we can do. We have no army, no allies. It's over." The Cerberus again insisted as his subordinate scoffed in disgust and walked beside him. "No, it can't be over, we can't let them win!" He stated, motioning with his hands towards Cordova as he bypassed Tegan and turned to face him.

"W-We need to show our allies that we are still here; that we are still standing! If we can prove that despite the Federation's attempts we are still standing, even after the treachery of bringing the hostile Zeon forces to Earth, we can spark the fire that will destroy the Federation and save Earth! You said so yourself!" He pleaded, raising Tegan's eyes back to him and locking their vision together for a few moments in silence, further frustrating the boy before him who could see that even Tegan's spirit was wavering.

"Come on Tegan, we can't give up! We have to do something! The Federation, the New Republic; we can't let them get away with this! We have to stop them!" He cried in anger and desperation; a move that inadvertently caused a small spark to form in the Cerberus' clouded mind.

"The New Republic…" He said aloud under his breath as his eyes shifted from Corey back to the base in the distances, then to the Hygogg lumbering over them. Even with his young subordinate's help there was no way they could take on the entire Federation alone, not even if they were able to recover the Zeta Stein Doctor Hashmir had been constructing for him inside of Hangar 4.

The war against the Federation had come to a close and with it the abandonment of any hope that he and his men could help save the Earth from internal threat and corruption, but that did not mean he could not act further to ensure humanity still held a chance to survive. The last order he issued to the good doctor was to load the Stein with the last nuclear warhead in the Confederation's arsenal.

This was to be used as a deterate against Federal aggression and to help aid in the evacuation of Cordova, but in secret he held both the determination and will to use it against his foes, even without knowing of the New Republic's collusion in their war. A single nuclear warhead would never be enough to bring the Federation to its knees, but the New Republic, that was a different story.

He too felt as if the most guilt in all of this continued to rest on the shoulders of the New Republic and the bastard group of traitors who rose up against them at Side 3 and if nothing else his desire to make them pay for their sins doubled his hatred of the Counselor and what the Federation had become, and following their previous battles and the commitment of what he assumed was the last of their mobile suits to the fight on Earth, he was sure their defense forces surely had to have been reduced to nothing.

If he could somehow manage to find the New Republic in the hole they were hiding in and finish off what remained of their military with the combined power of the suit and the super weapon on it's back, leaving those who remained subject to his authority and command.

This would not only grant him the revenge for all of the pain and suffering they had caused him and his family, but help to ensure that despite the currently weak and plagued Federal Government Neo-Zeon could never again threaten Earth.

It was a risky and seemingly impossible task, especially since if his assumptions were correct the New Republic had relocated deep in unknown space outside of the Earth's Sphere, but it was the last chance he would have to redeem himself and move closer to his ultimate goal of keeping the Earth safe, even if it wasn't under his watchful gaze.

"There is one thing we can do." Tegan stated, snapping the man from his angered state and causing him to focus back on his leader. "Huh? What is it?" Corey asked as Tegan once again walked forward towards Cordova with determined eyes, his mind running back and forth in thought.

This soon after the fight it was highly unlikely that the Federation had completely confiscated all of the equipment from inside of the base and more then likely just locked it away where they could keep an eye on it. If this was the case it would prove to be the break he desperately needed.

Looking back to the lieutenant Tegan took a deep breath and sighed. "The war on Earth is over. The Federation has won, and as much as it kills me to admit it, there is nothing more we can do about it." He stated, once again pained his young subordinate who grunted in annoyance.

"B-But you just said-" Corey began to contest, stopping when Tegan suddenly raised his hand to stop him. "The war on Earth is over… but you are right. The New Republic, those Zeonic, disease carrying rats… they remain. And while they do, Earth can never be safe." He added as looked back out at the base, tracking a helicopter that at first seemed to be heading towards them before turning to head out to sea.

"The Zeta Stein is still at Cordova, more than likely still armed and fueled for the mission I had Hashmir outfit it for. If I can make it inside the hangar, I can use its power to destroy the New Republic and make them pay for what they have done. I won't change the Federation in the way we had hoped to with our war, but maybe, just maybe, it will keep all of this from ever happening again." Tegan continued as his partner listened intently, waiting for him to look back at him before shaking his head.

"But Admiral, do you even know where they are? Weren't they last seen heading off into deep, uncharted space?" The boy asked. "Yes, and if they wouldn't have returned to Earth it would have been nearly impossible to track them down. That was their biggest mistake." The Cerberus replied as Corey looked back at the base in the distance, contemplating what Tegan was saying.

Striking back against the New Republic for their part in causing the Confederation to fail seemed just, but if their colonies had truly been moved to the deepest parts of space far beyond the Earth's Sphere it would be quite a long journey, especially in a mobile suit.

"Even if you can somehow track them out to where they are hiding, how did you plan to get back? I don't think you will be able to refuel anywhere, and even if Hashmir equipped the largest propellant tanks we had in stock you won't have enough for a round trip." Corey countered to which Tegan simply stared at him.

"I won't be coming back. This attack is meant to be my final action; my last contribution to society and my last chance to atone for my sins. By cleansing the galaxy of these warmongering, bloodthirsty criminals, I will have achieved as much as I possible, and if that is all the more I can do, so be it." Tegan replied in as confident a manner he could possibly muster, causing Corey to avert his eyes away and gnash his teeth together in frustration.

A suicide attack? That was his plan? Had their situation truely come to the point where this was their last course of action? Was there really nothing else that could be done? Standing motionless and without a word, Corey eventually looked down to the show at their feet, clenching both of his fists tightly closed.

There was no choice but to believe in Tegan. With everything they had done there was no way either of them could return to normal life, at least not outside of a maximum security prison. Their only hope to live a normal life died with the Confederation, and now it seemed as if their fate would be not death or glory, but glory in death.

"If that is your plan, then I am coming with you. You can't do this alone Admiral, and if this really is our last dance, then… then I am going to give it my all." The young officer stated as Tegan smiled a bit. "I knew you would." He replied as he turned back towards Cordova yet again. "But I'm afraid I can't accept your help."

Hearing Tegan's rejection of his offer Corey gasped. "W-What?! How do you plan to do it on your own? I can help, I-I need a different mobile suit, but I can help finish this! It's my duty!" He contested though the Cerberus remained steadfast in his decision.

"No Corey, this isn't your duty. Your duty was to the Federation and then to me in the light of their weakness, and now that the war is over and the Confederation is gone, that duty has been satisfied. I was there when all of this started months ago, I was one of those who pushed it further to the point that it is now and I will be the one who sees it through to its end, regardless of what that end may be." Tegan replied in a calm, stern tone as Corey silently listened on.

"Admiral with all due respect-" He attempted to interrupt but once again stopped as Tegan looked back to him and shook his head. "I'm not an admiral anymore, nor are you a soldier under my command. To the Federation you are but a nameless body, and I advise that you take that opportunity and run with it. Leave this place. Take your suit out to sea and away from here until you find another land, burn it and all other evidence of your affiliation to your past life and just... live. Live as much as you can and make the best of what is given to you. Don't take a moment for granted." The man continued as Corey's breath faltered behind his lips. Was he really telling him to leave? To live his life to the fullest as a free man?

"T-Tegan, how… how could I? After all of this? After all I've seen; after all we've done… how could I ever just walk the streets knowing that it was all for nothing and that the people who keep us safe and lead us are lying? How could I ever be happy?" The boy asked, at which Tegan grinned with a wide, sincere smile.

"You've just got to try. So many of us have died already… no more. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain. Live your life, love like crazy and don't ever forget those who have died. That is my last order for you, my friend. Live." He added as Corey bit his lip, fighting back the same tears that had been lingering in his eyes since their emergence from the water. Was that really what was left for him now? Would he ever be able to just return to his humble, simple life on the farm? He had certainly missed what he was accustomed to, but was it possible to ever go back to the way things were?

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat and against his best judgment, Corey reluctantly nodded in silence. Even if this was not what he wanted he knew Tegan would never change his mind, and if this was what Tegan wanted for him, he would do what was asked.

"Yes, Tegan. I understand." He replied as Tegan's smile grew and his head nodded in appreciation before looking back towards the base; the lights in the distance reflecting weakly in his eyes.

"But there is one more thing I must ask of you though, Corey; not as your leader, but as your friend." He added as Corey tilted his head and looked out to the base as well. He knew what the Cerberus wanted, and he was more than willing to help him, this one last time.

Nearly a half hour later the Hygogg emerged from the frigid water of the gulf once again, this time boosting up and out of the harbor with ferocious intent as it dragged it's large claws up and across the hull of two ships, causing them to begin to flood as he slid to a stop on the concrete pier and scanned his surroundings.

In accordance to Tegan's request, he was to appear in the base undetected, cause as much damage as humanly possible and then escape back out to sea; a three part checklist that, based on the scrambling soldiers caught completely off guard around him, seemed to have already been partially complete.

Traveling the same hidden route he had been using to sneak in and out of the base the past few days had prevented his approach to the base from being detected, leaving him free reign to damage as much of the occupying force as possible before they could even truly retaliate. This was the best case scenario and order to keep his advantage the seasoned pilot immediately began to charge into the base, locking onto the nearest mobile suit, a measly Nemo, as he did so.

"Alright you Federal scum; come get me!" Corey cried as he slid to the side to avoid a burst of the Nemo's fire, squishing several soldiers below his feet as he did so but not stopping his movement until he was point blank with the hostile, at which point he pierce the machine's cockpit effortlessly with his left claw.

Spraying even more blood to the already stained snow below, Corey shifted the lifeless hulk to his side to block incoming fire from a squadron of tanks and two more mobile suits heading his way, causing him to grin. They had taken the bait and his mission timer had truly begun, pushing him to move forward to the next step in the plan.

Targeting Hangar 4 in the distance, Corey locked onto the massive, reinforced door that secured it shut and immediately launched all four of the missiles stored in the Hygogg's torso while simultaneously tossing the wrecked Nemo aside and sliding onto his suit's stomach where used the angled plate armor like a sled.

Boosting straight towards the oncoming foes in a murderous fury he struck out against the vehicles he passed, tossing them around like rocks with his machine's long arms and slamming into Federal Jegan this time, knocking it on it's back before jumping to his feet to openfire on a group of scattering infantry with the Hygogg's waist-mounted machine guns.

This attack was both savage and necessary and while he knew the anger he was harboring inside was more than likely driving his desire to crush and dismember all those who stepped out in front of him, he could not hold back.

Crushing the Jegan's head with his large claw-like foot, Corey's eyes spun to Hangar 4 to see that his mission was coming along as planned and that his missiles were successful in cracking open Hangar 4 main door; just as Tegan had asked.

"The door is open Tegan, make your move! I will keep them distracted!" The pilot called out across the local channel shared between him and his departing leader who silently crept in the shadows along the base's perimeter wall, not far from the back of Hangar 4.

"Alright, I'm going in now. Just hold them for as long as you can, retreat if you must." The Cerberus ordered as he now stood from his crouched position and sprinted as fast as he could down the perimeter towards a large hole in the thick, blast-resistant wall surrounding the blast that had likely been destroyed during the Federation's artillery bombardment the previous day.

It had taken significantly less effort than originally thought to make it this close to the base even under the cover of night and now that Corey was unleashing hell on the already beaten and worn out 2nd Fleet, it seemed as if he would have no trouble at all making into Cordova and to the hangar.

Setting caution aside in favor of speed, Tegan quickly made his way up and over the mound of debris and onto the small access road behind Hangar 3 before swiftly running towards the target, at which point the whole situation became a matter of luck rather than skill. The success of their game all depended on whether or not the Federation had yet to dismantle or relocated the Zeta Stein inside of the Hangar; if it was still there and ready to go they would succeed, but if not, all of this for nothing.

Ignoring the ensuing chaos, deafening weapons fire and alarms, Tegan continued to the area between Hangar 3 and Hangar 4, drawing his pistol from its pouch in expectation of what could easily turn into a firefight as soon as he entered the open man doors before him.

Even if they had not dismantled the Stein they would surely have it and all of the other remaining Cerberus mobile suits under watch to ensure none of the surviving Confederation soldiers broke away and tried to pilot one, and if that were the case he would have no choice but to fight his way inside, up the catwalk and to the machine's cockpit.

"How are you holding up kid?" Tegan questioned silently into the radio as he approached the doors at the side of the hangar while using cargo containers and parked vehicles at cover. "I'm alright, keep going! I've got more readings coming in on my sensors; air craft, from the looks of it." Corey replied, looking out to sea as his suit projected target identifies up beyond the clouds.

Grunting, the pilot swung his suit's left arm up towards the sky and began to fire the vulcan cannons built into the Hygogg's palms, forcing the aircraft off course and preventing them from finishing their likely action of targeting him for attack.

"Aircraft, got it. I'm almost inside now. Just a bit longer." The cerberus responded as he emerged from behind a fuel truck and once again dashed with all of his might towards the doors to the hangars which in the confusion of the attack, and much to the man's relief, seemed to have been left both unattended and unlocked.

Wasting not a single second that had been gifted to him he moved right to the doors, pistol aimed forward before carefully moving inside where almost immediately he was greeted with familiar machine shop smells of hydraulic fluid and grease, as well as the sight of not only several remaining Confederation mobile suits at several stages of completion, but the one he so desperately sought out; it's orange paint standing out amongst the dark mobile suit bays off to the side of the hangar.

To make matters better it appeared that not only had the machine remained ready for take off, but that its payload had been left untouched and that Hashmir had even attached two long range propellant tanks to it as well. "The Stein is still here; it's fully loaded and nobody appears to be watching it! I'm making my move!" The Cerberus exclaimed in excitement, breaking his previously stealthy demeanor as he began to carefully ascend the catwalks up to the cockpit level.

Moving past the last hangar bay towards the Stein Tegan's journey almost ended when from the smoldering hangar doors a burst of hostile weapons fire flew, striking the catwalk and causing it to list heavily down towards the floor below; an almost certainly fatal fall should he hadn't have caught the railing to stop himself.

"G-Guah, Corey, what's going on out there?!" Tegan questioned frantically as he stood himself back up and watched the Hygogg slide past the Hangar while completely evasive maneuvers, followed shortly behind by two helicopters and a group of tanks on the runway below.

The fight outside was clearly escalating and as Corey had warned aircraft had now joined the fight, including helicopters. This meant that not only had word of the attack reached the forces out at sea but that they were close to shore than it originally appeared and were now scrambling to repel their attack.

"They are coming to reinforce the base; tanks and mobile suits are appearing on my sensors from the surrounding area and more aircraft on their way from the carriers at sea. It's do or die Tegan, now or never!" Corey warned as he swatted a helicopter from overhead with his extended claw arm and turned his attention on another while Tegan grunted.

"Almost there." He replied as he righted himself and began to run along the catwalks towards the stein, only to stop once again and raise his handgun as from the cockpit emerged a familiar figure; the very man who oversaw the completion of the machine.

"Hashmir? What are you doing here, why didn't you evacuate with the others?" Tegan questioned as the doctor turned to face him with both hands in his pockets and a less-than-pleased emotion across his face.

"I didn't have time. When that boy came into the base and you two began to battle, I shut the hangar doors and remained there until the fight was over and the Federation came looking for us. They hacked the doors and ordered us to surrender, which I had previously ordered all of my men to do. There was no reason for them to die as well. We were, as the Federation sees it, all prisoners held by your regime against our will." The doctor responded as Tegan scoffed under his breath with a grin, only slightly lowering his weapon from the doctor's silhouette.

"I can understand that. You had to do what you had to in order to survive. But that doesn't answer why you are here, or why you are hiding in the Stein." Tegan replied, though it was clear that Hashmir didn't share the same notion of humor.

"The real question is why are _you_ here, Tegan. They said that you drowned in the harbor and fell victim to the Ez-8's reactor explosion, but that is obviously not the case. Why have you come here? Why couldn't you just let sleeping dogs lie?" The doctor questioned, causing Tegan's eyes to narrow and his concern to grow.

Hashmir's tone was objective and seemingly hostile, and while he may be a scientist he had yet to take his hangs from the pockets of his lab coats, making the Cerberus rather uncomfortable.

"I've come to take the Stein and finish what we started, though I'm sure by now you too understand that it won't be the Federation who is my target. It will be the New Republic. They caused our demise, and they must not be allowed to live. Lieutenant Winters is out there buying me time to recover the suit, so if we are done here I must-" Tegan began to reply as he took a step forward towards the Stein, but as he did so Hashmir removed his left hand from his pocket revealing what was clearly a remote detonator while his right exposed the explosive device in question, which was promptly tossed inside of the suit's cockpit.

"Hashmir what are you doing?!" Tegan questioned out loud as he trained his gun sights on the elderly doctor's chest, preparing to fire at the slightest bit of movement or sign that the man was going to detonate the bomb. "This is our only chance to save Earth; to keep it from being plunged into war once more!" He added as the doctor shook his head.

"No Tegan, what was needed for the Earth to remain safe was for you to have stayed at the bottom of that harbor. The world has grown too tired, too weary of men like you… I saw that long ago, but was too weak to say anything. But not anymore. You've already caused so much death and destruction, I won't allow it to continue. It's over." He said in a clear and calm tone, lifting the remote up a little as Tegan jabbed the weapon forward and stiffened his arm to fire.

"Don't do it Hashmir, you fool!" He warned, holding his fire for only a second more before shooting the old man several times in the chest, causing him to step back on the catwalk before falling backwards to the hangar floor below.

"Fuck!" Tegan exclaimed as he darted towards the Stein's cockpit and slid inside, grasping the explosive device with his metallic hand. In one motion he then spun back towards the open cockpit door and tossed the shoebox sized wad of C-4 over the railing balcony where it fell nearly to the floor before Hashmir could detonate it.

Covering his ears at the loud boom, Tegan stood to his feet and ran to the balcony to see if any damage had been done to the Stein, only to sigh in relief at the realization that it had escaped unscathed and that at the feet of the Stein lay Hashmir in a puddle of his own blood; the detonation of the device likely his last action before passing away from a combination of Tegan's bullets and the fall from the balcony above.

"Fucking crazy old fool." Tegan cursed under his breath in anger before looking at the battle raging outside, returning his handgun to his holster and promptly making his way inside the Zeta Stein which he immediately began to prepare for flight.

Sitting down in the central Panoramic Psycommu seat, he flipped over the ignition switch to his right and watched as the machine rapidly ran through its boot functions before changing all of the screens around him to a live visual feed of the hangar around him; an action that brought a grin to his face.

Right away he could feel the suit feeding off of him and with it the raw power she possessed. He knew for certain now that if he would have been able to recover the Stein during the battle that he surely would have been able to defeat Amaury and the Federal attack force to win the day, angering him exponentially though instead of complaining he instead shut the Stein's hatch and immediately stepped out onto the hangar's main mobile suit lane.

"Corey, I have the Stein. Evacuate Cordova!" He instructed as the suit's engines began to glow and lift the machine from the ground in a hovering fashion, throwing dust and heavy equipment left and right before transforming into as much as a waverider form the machine could handle.

Being as that it was not a true Zeta Plus it would not be able to transform completely, but by locking its legs into waverider mode for maximum thrust, it's payload into a safe storage position and all external weapons forward with the suits intended direction of travel, it would be more than enough to break the Earth's gravity and travel out into space as planned.

"Did you hear me? Get clear of the base!" Tegan again demanded after a moment of no reply, though this time his voice had come across loud enough for the struggling pilot to hear over the battle raging around him. "Got it, retreating now!" He replied as he smashed another helicopter from the sky with his arm and dove onto the fresh snow once more, boosting down the runway towards the harbor and past oncoming enemy forces.

It was now or never, just like Corey said. Using the suits two hip-mounted particle beam cannons, Tegan blasted away the remaining debris between himself and the open air outside before boosting out of Hangar 4 and straight up into the sky.

Almost immediately his suit alerted him to several oncoming fighters that were likely heading towards Corey before spotting the fleeing Zeta. "Unauthorized mobile suit departing from Hangar 4, you are ordered to stop your ascension and return to Cordova immediately or you will be fired upon!" One of the Saberfish pilots warned Tegan as he smirked. Did they really think they stood a chance?

"I don't think so." He replied as he took a deep breath and used his mind to angle the Zeta's right hip particle beam at the oncoming squadron of fighters before firing a sharp burst of high powered bolts the tore into the first Saberfish, destroying it instantly while another lost a wing and was forced to eject before the remainder broke off from their attack.

"Cowards." Tegan scoffed as he turned his attention back down below in time to watch as the Hygogg dove into the harbor and began to make its way to safety; the pilot inside transmitting to his leader one last time before disappearing below the sea.

"Good luck Admiral. Godspeed." His voice called before fadinging to static as Tegan's grin slowly reappeared and his human hand reached up to salute. "Farewell, my friend." He called out before taking a deep breath and looking around him to planet below. This would be the last time he ever laid eyes upon the Earth he loved so much.

Never again would he feel the breeze or the cool rain on his face, nor would he ever see his mother or his siblings, and while he was saddened that he would never be able to tell them goodbye, he knew that in the end this was for the best. Soon he would be vindicated for all of his transgressions and those who have caused both him and all of humanity so much pain would be made to pay for their crimes. He was going to win, one way or another.

"I'm coming for you, New Republic." He whispered to himself as his attention returned forward, preparing himself to begin ascending past Earth's gravitational pull. This was it. "I'm coming for you, Amaury."

Waking up to the sudden sound of the phone ringing and forgetting that in their passion he and Margaret had moved themselves to a more concealed position underneath his large wooden desk, Doran struck his head loudly against the mahogany hardwood, causing him to yelp out and curse himself as his hand frantically searched for the phone above them.

"God damnit. I told them no calls." He grumbled, stirring his partner from her sleep as she pulled the fleece blanket they had thrown down and folded over themselves for comfort closer to her bare chest. "They better have a good reason." She whispered with a slightly hungover tone through a yawn as the counselor finally managed to grasp the phone and remove it from it's base.

"What part of no calls don't you understand switchboard, it's… six in the fucking morning, what-" He immediately began to barrage the operator before falling silent at the message being relayed to him.

"What? Who? How?" He rapidly question as he stood up from under the desk, regardless of how dressed he was as he angrily slammed his fist into the desk, raising Margaret's concern and causing her to stand up as well, though she brought the blanket up with her.

"What's going on? What's happening?" She asked as Dorian looked to her and shook his head, though at the operator's next words he froze and his eyes grew wide. "Impossible! That's-" He stuttered before grunting in anger slamming the phone back down onto the receiver and immediately scrambling to recover his clothing from the other side of the room.

Annoyed by his silence but taking his lead, Margaret walked towards her clothes as well, but refrained from immediately getting dressed. "Why aren't you telling me what's going on?" She instead questioned as Dorian pulled his pants up and looked to her.

"A mobile suit just came out of the harbor and attacked Cordova." He began as Margaret too grew wide eyed in shock. "Who was it? How bad was the damage? It can't be Tegan, it has to be someone else." She immediately question as Dorian shook his head.

"I don't know, but in the middle of the chaos someone stole that mobile suit your team found in the Hangar; the one with the nuclear warhead strapped to it's back." He added, creating a deep pit to form in Margaret's stomach. They knew that mobile suit was intended for Tegan. Was it possible he could have somehow survived and then come back for it exact his revenge?

"Where did it go? I-Is it heading here?" She questioned, leading Dorian to again shake his head. "No, the one that attacked the base disappeared into the ocean and the other headed off into space. I… I think they are going after the New Republic; we have to stop them before they start another war!"


	47. Chapter 47: Ghosts

Opening her eyes to break free of her sleep Carina was instantly greeted with the sight of the metal ceiling of their cabin, reminding her of not only the time before the fell asleep but of the sleeping boy wrapped in her arms. With a smile she forced her body from it's subconscious desire to stretch her arms and instead kissed Amaury's forehead and gently tightened her hold on sleeping form. It had been a little over a week since the departed Earth, yet it still seemed the very first thing she found herself doing each morning was thanking whatever god was out there that her love had survived what would likely be his last fight for the foreseeable future and returned to her in one piece. Seeing him sleeping so peacefully beside her even with the bandage still wrapped around his injured left eye was a blissful bit of peace all on it's own, though with her joy came an impatient and anxious worry she couldn't shake. Just like with the injuries he received during the Liberation of Side 3 Amaury was recovering quickly, but it seemed that once again he found himself battling an infection in his bloodstream that, despite being significantly less severe than before, left him slightly sick stomach and burning a low grade fever that was hard to reduce. Emerson believed the infection was unavoidable due to his injury and the immunosuppressant the boy had been on since receiving his cybernetic implant but despite his opinion that Amaury could be okay Carina remained worried, prompting the doctor to run further tests on the boy and once again place him on light duty, though with the deep wound to his forearm it was likely he would have been regulated to such regardless.

But even feeling under the weather Amaury remained upbeat and helpful, helping Carina with her work in the hangars below as the crew desperately tried to comply with Geoff's instructions to repair and outfit the remaining mobile suits in their inventory; a task made even more difficult by the nearly catastrophic damage to pretty much every other suit beside Geoff's Jegan and the Kalani now assigned to Naomi. Only two of their suits from the battle were even deemed capable of servicing, and since Douglas' Dubisar was a strictly ground type mobile suit that left only the Jaeger to be deemed top priority. The suit itself was severely damaged and even with all hands on deck it was turning into quite the repair job. It had not only lost it's right arm, but all of the major components that would even attach a limb, forcing the engineers to cannibalize the Dubisar for the appropriately sized joints while also utilizing some of the spare Jegan parts given to them by the Federation to help furnish a safe flight home. Beside the arm the machine had also received significant damage to it's left leg, head and other armored panels, leadinging to a massive suit-wide overhaul that included salvaging spare parts and plating from the previous Jaeger's iterations to create a fully functional machine once again.

Seeing the Jaeger in such rough shape was hard on Amaury, no matter how many times Carina pleaded with him not to think about it. To him the machine was a labor of love, built and maintained with the utmost attention to detail by his future wife who worried so much about him, and each and every scratch, bullet hole and burn mark made her work harder. In her eyes it was both heartwarming and cute to see him worry about making her do her job, but each and every time he became flustered she would make sure to explain to him that it was not the end of the world and force him to relax. With a smile the girl leaned forward and gently kissed her sleeping lover's cheek before looking to the door to their cabin as it gently opened, revealing Tome on the other side who promptly moved inside and closed the door behind her before much background noise from the hallway could enter.

"How's he doing?" She questioned quietly, walking through the room to sit on her bed on the other side of the nearest porthole window while Carina shook her head."He's okay, just tired. They've been taking blood from him every evening to run testing, so he's usually pretty drained by about this time." The girl replied, trying to keep her own voice down as much as possible as she gently reached up and felt his forehead in an effort to gauge how high his fever was.

"That didn't stop the two of you from getting up close and personal after lunch, did it?" Tome joked as she watched Carina checking his forehead, causing a dark color to immediately flush over the girl's cheeks in embarrassment. "Tome!" Carina whispered as the girl began to laugh quietly. "I'm only kidding, you need to relax! Besides, what you should be doing is looking outside. We are nearly home and you can see Hagen from here, clear as day." She replied, prompting Carina's sleepy eyes to widen as she lifted herself carefully up a bit from her position to look out of the window for herself.

Almost immediately her eyes were filled with the sight of New Hagen and the colonies in the distance, just as Tome said it was. Out here in a rather uncharted region of space there was little minovsky radiation and certainly less dust and debris floating through the void, causing things to seem much clearer than in the Earth's sphere around the Sides. "It's beautiful. Looks like they got the external lights working in our absence, too." She noted as her eyes dotted along the surface that seemed rather illuminated compared to when they left, even at this distance. "Yeah, who would have thought that they would make such progress _after_ we left." Tome huffed in reply as Carina giggled under her breath and returned to her comfortable position at Amaury's side.

"Well, all I can say is that I'm glad to be home. With Tegan gone things should be much quieter, and that means things here could really progress forward. We can continue to develop New Hagen; finish her key infrastructure and lay down the plans for further residential, commercial and industrial zones. It will take some time, but soon we will turn this rock into a thriving haven for all those in space." Carina stated as Tome smiled. "Sounds like you've picked up a side job as the city's planner." The girl jested causing Carina to once again laugh, forcing her to lift her hand to her mouth to try and remain as quiet as possible. They were still nearly an hour away from arriving at New Hagen's port where they would be logged in and released from duty, and with Amaury still not feeling the greatest she wanted to make sure he was able to rest as much as possible, especially since, knowing Admiral Krupp, it was likely he had some sort of celebration planned for their return.

Looking up to Tome as she made herself a bit more comfortable while simultaneously ensuring she didn't create a position where Amaury wasn't, Carina yawned. "What about you Tome, how are you feeling? It's getting closer and closer to your due date and I'm not sure who is more excited to meet your babies, you or me." She said softly as Tome smiled and placed both of her hands on her stomach. "You're telling me, it feels like I've been carrying them around for a lifetime already." She replied as she gently laid back on her own bed and threw her arms dramatically down on the bed on each side of her.

"Have you picked any names yet?" Carina countered as Tome huffed and carefully rolled onto her side to face Carina while positioning a pillow beneath her. "Maaaaybe, but I'm not telling anyone yet. I want to keep it a surprise until the last possible minute." She replied with a wide grin, causing Carina to pout. "Really? You won't even tell your best friend in the whole world?" Carina questioned back. "Nope, not even you!" Tome hummed as she stuck out her tongue causing both of them to laugh softly.

"Fine, keep your secrets. But I'm not telling you what we've decided to name ours then ethier." Carina replied as she sighed and closed her eyes, thinking through the conversation she and Amaury had the night before the battle of Cordova with a smile on her face while Tome's widened and then narrowed once more. "You two think way too far ahead, do you know that?" She asked, making Carina giggle under her breath. "It never hurts to be prepared. You know, just incase." She replied, watching as Tome began to formulate a response before biting her tongue at the sudden sharp interjection of the _Raditz'_ s announcement system overhead.

"Attention, attention: we are beginning our final approach to New Hagen. All crews are to begin final preparations for docking procedures immediately while all other non-essential flight personnel are urged to prepare for arrival at their own pace." The voice announced in a rather abrupt and loud tone, causing both girls to cringe and for Amaury's unbandaged eye to slowly open and scan the room around him before turning to Carina with a small, feverish smile. "Hey." He whispered before kissing her cheek, causing the girl to blush despite being annoyed at the wakeup call she felt was too soon.

Seeing their little embrace Tome sat back up and sighed, now holding the pillow over her stomach as she squeezed it gently. "So much for letting him sleep in. Wake up lazy, we are home." She called out as Amaury's eye widened and turned to the window. "Really?" He asked as he carefully began to prop himself up as his fiancee slid back to allow him to do so, unable to hide the smile that crept over her at the look that came over Amaury the second he spotted the home they had fought so hard for in the distance. "Mhmm. Well, almost home. I was going to wait to wake you until we got a little closer because I know you are tired, but that plan kinda got ruined. How are you feeling?" She said softly as Amaury smiled and yawned. "Alright, and it's okay, I've slept long enough." He replied as he once again kissed Carina's cheek and carefully sat up, allowing the covers of their bed to fall off of his bare chest and reveal the bruises that covered his body, as well as the bandages still wrapped around his forearm.

"Well that was certainly more than I wanted to see. I suddenly feel the morning sickness coming back." Tome said out loud with a sarcastic tone as Carina scoffed and gently threw a small pillow across the room at her. "Shut up Tome," She replied with a laugh as she too sat up, though unlike Amaury she was not topless and had been wearing one of his shirts to help keep her warm in the cold cabin. "He looks much better than he did before, and I for one don't mind the view." She protested with a smile as Amaury blushed. "This is awkward." He replied as Tome stood and began to pack her things from around the cabin in her duffel bag which now rested on top of her bed. "Your telling me." She hummed before watching from the corner of her eye as the other two began to follow her example and begin preparing for their return home.

It wasn't much later that the _Raditz_ was on its way into an external port beside her fellow ships of the line the _Warsaw_ and the _Bastille_ , their service vehicle the _Tortuga_ and the former Federal Navy Cruiser _Interdictor_ , now renamed the _Victory_ , which despite nearly being destroyed like it's sister ship the _Saber_ had been restored to its former glory. "The work never stops." Douglas muttered as he watched the decks of the ships, each crawling with dozens of dock workers both operating heavy machinery as well as in space suits, all of which saluted their returning heroes before resuming their work as the crew inside of the Ra Cailum's command bridge watched on. "We had a job to do and so did they, though I have to admit I didn't think much of while we were out there." Carina replied, watching as Amaury's eyes traced the trajectory of a rather close dock worker who waved to them, causing him to wave back and her to grin.

"It's good to see our old homes put back together again. Hell, I would even argue that they look even better now, especially with the _Raditz_ by their side." Geoff staid with a grin from his position standing at his command station, looking out at what of his crew had assembled with him. All of his key personnel were present save for Marcus and Latty, both of which were likely preparing to be moved directly from the ship to an awaiting medical shuttle that would taken them to Dresden's main hospital to continue Marcus' recovery, which had been slow but progressive over their week's long journey home. He still couldn't stand on his own for very long let alone walk, but with each passing day he grew stronger and closer to returning to life as he once knew it.

Looking to Geoff behind them as he spoke Carina nodded and turned to Amaury, the bandage over his eye now removed for the day to reveal the only slightly pink tinge of his almost healed sclera. "Everything is starting to feel normal again, like we can finally put the fighting behind us." She admitted with a smile as Amaury tilted his head and did the same to show his agreement, prompting her to speak again. "Though I have to admit, Geoff is right. Seeing the fleet all matching one another and in one piece again embarks a sense of… pride. Not because of my engineering background, but because it really shows that we did it; that we are free to once again choose and defend our own fate." She added to which a transmission suddenly replied from within New Hagen's command deck.

"If you are all really this excited about seeing a bunch of old warships, wait until you see what just drifted in from Mars." The voice called, perking up every face in the room at the realization of just who was on the other end waiting for them. "I figured you would be waiting for us Admiral, even if it is about quarter after nine." Geoff replied before Krupp's image appeared before them on the massive screen at the center of the room.

"Come on Colonel, did you really think I would be doing much sleeping while my bravest men and women were out there risking their lives for our future?" The man replied with a grin as he smiled, looking at all of those aboard the docking battleship's bridge as they moved closer to their captain to come into range of the camera for their communication, many of whom waved to their leader. "Apparently not." Geoff replied with a laugh as he looked to those around him before feeling the sudden jolt of Hagen's magnetic ship clamps as they attached to both sides of the ship and secured it the asteroid as it rotated in space, still holding formation with the others.

Within seconds an officer to the side of the bridge turned his head towards Colonel Walker. "All good sir, we are attached to Hagen and they are in the process of moving the boarding gangways into place now." He alerted, causing Geoff to look back at Admiral Krupp, who nodded with an audibly smirk. "Welcome, it's official. Welcome home, Task Force Oracle. Now come on, I'm sure you've spent enough time couped up in that old ship." He added before the transmission ended, leaving the crew on the bridge looking at Geoff who crossed his arms as he looked about. "You heard the man. Everyone that isn't actively powering down the ship is free to disembark. Dismissed."

Not needing a second order the crowd began to quickly disperse from the room to head down to the nearest exits, many of which didn't even need to return to their cabins as they had been carrying their bags with them in anticipation of the order to disembark; the final order and sign that their long journey was at its end. It wasn't long before most of them had cleared out, leaving only the pilot's of Oracle and their leader standing around in silence before Douglas stretched and stood from his position sitting against Geoff's command platform. "Yeah he's not lying, this ship's bleak interior is starting to make me sick. I'm out." He stated as he nodded to the colonel and began to exit the bridge, prompting Carina to look at Tome and Amaury.

"You ready?" She asked them both to which Amaury, who was unsure if it was truly time for them to go, raised his head and looked up to Geoff. Unsurprised, Geoff grinned and nodded once more. "It's alright. Our job here is done, at least for now, and I think every last one of our crew have earned this relief. Go, I'll be right behind you." He stated. With a grin of his own Amaury acknowledged and turned towards Carina and then to Tome who, much to their surprise, had already begun to follow in Douglas' path from the bridge, causing Carina to laugh as Amaury shook his head. "I guess she's had enough of this ship for the time being as well." He said. "Can't blame her. It will be nice to be able to have our own apartment again." She added, taking his good hand in hers and leading him from the bridge towards the gangway and out into Hagen's main terminal station where, much to their surprise, a fairly large welcoming party had gathered to greet them.

Carina knew that there would more than likely be some sort of group waiting to great them in the open aired terminal they departed from two weeks ago, but never in wildest dreams would she have guessed just how many of her fellow citizens would be standing before them. The entire complex was full of people, some of which held signs proclaiming their crew to be heros as well as more traditional signs welcoming them home, filling the entire area with a joyful aurora and causing her to wonder if Krupp had revealed just what their mission had been in their absence. Many of the crew that had exited the _Raditz_ before them had moved out to greet the crowd of grateful citizens as evident by the dots of green uniforms amongst the more traditionally dressed onlookers, but Carina's focus quickly centered on Admiral Krupp at the forefront as he shook each and every crewmember hand as they exited the long ramp from the boarding corridors.

"Can you believe this Amaury? It's amazing…" She said aloud as she continued to look around. "It sure is." He replied, pointing down towards Krupp just as Tome and reached him and, in true Tome fashion, hugged the Movement leader as he laughed and immediately looked at her enlarged stomach with a look reminiscent of a soon to be grandfather. "Getting closer I see, Lieutenant Himare?" He questioned to which Tome nodded before looking to his side just in time to see her father Emmett exiting from the crowd, bringing her to immediately squeal in glee and charge towards with her arms open to catch a loving hug.

Laughing at the sight Admiral Krupp soon returned to greeting the disembarking members of Oracle, where upon noticing Amaury and Carina descending down from the stairs towards him he once again smiled. Carina and Amaury had been with him from the beginning and even though the start of their journey seemed like ancient history he could still remember both of their entry interviews as if they were just yesterday. "Welcome back Major Hughes and Lieutenant Dietrich. Or should I say Major and Lieutenant Dietrich?" He questioned as they came to stop before him, doing his best to speak clearly of the cheering all around them as Carina shook her head.

"Not yet Admiral. Did you really think we would get married without you there to officiate the ceremony?" The girl replied as Krupp laughed and shook his head. "I guess I better make sure my notary registration is up to date before the wedding then, hmm?" He questioned amongst his below while looking to Amaury who's reddened eye and injured arm told only part of the story of their journey to Earth. "I see the battle was not easily won." Krupp added with a diminishing smile as Amaury's did the same.

"It wasn't, but we did what was asked of us… even if it almost pushed us past our limits." The boy replied, bringing the admiral to nod his head. "Yes, I saw Marcus and the Kriets siblings a short while before you two came out. He's a strong man, he will recover in no time. You all will." The admiral replied as Amaury looked to Carina, her soft smile forcing him to do so once again as well. "We know they will." She stated, shifting her gaze to Krupp for a moment before he placed his left hand on Amaury's shoulder and his right on Carina's and gently nudged them. "You can tell me all about the journey in your own time; when you are ready. But for now I feel that you two, as well as the rest of the crew, need nothing more but than to rest. There are festivities taking place all across the colonies tonight in celebration of your return and the end of our war. Enjoy yourselves." He added, waiting until the two young lovers nodded before letting go of them to allow them to walk away, though allowing her curiosity to get the better of herself Carina remained still, despite the line of crewmen building up behind her.

"I have a quick question, Admiral." She said as the mustached man before them turned his head back towards them and tilted it slightly to the side. "Hmm?" He hummed in curiosity as Carina looked around the large main terminal entrance. "You mentioned something had arrived from Mars… what was it exactly? Is Elise here?" She questioned, catching the man's blank stare for a minute before forming a small smirk; his eyes drifting off to the large corridor to their side that lead further into Hagen past the blast doors towards both the cargo receiving area and the area they had converted into their military servicing center. "Oh don't worry, you will see what I meant soon enough. Can't miss it."

Confused but not wanting to delay the impatient line behind them, Carina simply looked to Amaury before leading him by the hand down the rest of the ramp and through the crowd of celebratinging citizens and familiar faces from their long journey to Earth. "What do you think he meant by that?" The boy asked as he followed Carina's gentle tugging and wincing once at the sudden but likely accidental bump of a person's arm against his, though in her dedications Carina hadn't noticed. "I'm not sure, I'm assuming-" She began to reply as the rounded the corner through the airlocks and were immediately stopped by the sight of the port's cargo staging area, now filled to the brim with what appeared to be shipping containers; large metal conex boxes bearing that were a mix of new and old, with the latter having what appeared to be the former Principality of Zeon's emblem plastered on the sides.

"Whoa." Amaury muttered at the sudden appearance of the cargo while looking to his lover who stared blankly forward at all of the packed hardware with both an expression of surprise and excitement. "Yeah, whoa. This all came from Mars? Elise sent all of this?" She replied, dragging Amaury with her forward towards the stacked crates as well as a cargo controller who stood outside of the loading area's painted lines with a clipboard.

Approaching him unnoticed Carina gently cleared her throat to both alert him and make sure he was not startled as it seemed as if he was counting in his mind. "Excuse me," She began, immediately catching the dock workers focus and bringing him instantly to attention. "Major Hughes, welcome back." He said with a salute as the young officer did so as well before pointing up at all the containers. "This is… a lot. I knew we were expecting some mobile weapons from Mars, but what exactly did they send? Did they provide a manifest?" Carina asked to which the dock worker immediately nodded.

"Yes they did, but much of it is deceptive. They changed a lot of the item names to keep whatever was inside a secret from what we are assuming was would-be pirates, but what we do know for sure is that there is at least seven mobile suits here as well as the weapons, ammunition and other consumable resources needed to operate them." The dock worked replied as he handed Carina the manifest, and almost instantly she knew he wasn't lying. Most of the text before her appeared to be randomly paired words without any actual indication as to what the item was, though there was some indicators as to what items were, especially those received in mass quantity. "The most important thing is that we received suits, but have you identified them at all yet? I see the quantity here is marked as seven, but the codeword leaves no hint as to what they are." She inquired while handing the manifest back and looking up at the containers again, though the man didn't have a direct answer.

"We are not sure about the whole lot, but from what we can tell at least one of them appears to be a Geara-Doga, or at least the head of one." He replied as Carina's eyes widened a bit. "Geara-Dogas?" She questioned out loud as Amaury's curiosity kicked in.

"Those were the suits using during the second Neo-Zeon war,right? They were essentially the all-around successor to the Zaku… if I remember correctly. I think I read about it in those books you gave me." The boy asked, bringing Carina to nod as a small smile and blush grew across her face. Hearing him speak like that and reference those books and her notes was rather adorable to her; not because she felt that his attempt to learn was cute, but because she knew he was doing so in order to further his knowledge to help her as much as he possibly could. "Yes, they were. They were designed, built and sold to Char's Neo-Zeon by Anaheim Electronics in the ver city I was going to school, Von Braun. From what I've heard they performed their role as a general purpose mobile suit effectively, and even if they are considered antiquated I'm sure we will be able to work with them, especially after what we've been able to achieve with suits like the Zakum."

With a smile of his own Amaury looked back to his fiance with a sort of glimmer in his eye that hinted he was thinking of something loving to say. "If anyone is going to make it work, it will be you baby." He hummed, darkening her pre-existing blush even further than it was as she took his hand back in hers and gently squeezed it to show appreciation for his words.

"Come on, let's get home. I know Admiral Krupp said that we should be out celebrating, but I think that maybe tonight we should just rest. The celebration will still be going on tomorrow." Carina whispered caringly as they began to make their way towards an awaiting shuttle that would take them back to Dresden. "Besides, I have something else planned for us that I'm sure you will like." She added with a hum, causing a small smile to form on Amaury's face. "What are we cooking?" He questioned, forcing Carina to giggle as she looked back on her fiance with true love and admiration. How could he have known?

The next morning it was no surprise to the two lovers that Tome had begun to text and call both of them just after artificial sunrise in an attempt to make dinner plans for their little group. As she put it the night out was not of her own choice but of her father's though the excitement in her voice suggested otherwise, especially since Carina was well aware that the location that her father had chosen was not only popular with Dresden's nightlife, but Tome's personal favorite as well. The local rooftop restaurant and nightclub, known locally as Livewire, was not a place Carina had visited during the time of her internship in the colonies, but had been a frequent hotspot for Tome and her friend's to travel to on the weekends in order to hang out and relax, and she found herself hard pressed to tell her best friend no. So the group agreed to meet at the Livewire for about six that evening, giving them plenty of time to do whatever it was that needed to be accomplished that day while still allowing them a decent amount of time to relax, talk and enjoy a nice meal.

With the Livewire only being several blocks from their home Carina and Amaury opted to walk to dinner, taking in the rather warm albeit slightly breezy colony air and stretching their legs after being cooped up inside the tight corridors of the _Raditz_ for the greater part of the last month. "Feels good to be home, doesn't it?" Carina questioned as they walked hand in hand now the sidewalk, her eyes looking all around at the busy nightlife as Amaury nodded. "Yeah it does. When we left for Operation Duality I wasn't sure we would ever return, yet here we are." He replied with a smile, though his words brought back the memories of uncertainty that had flooded Carina's mind as they left Dresden for the first time, causing her to frown.

"But we did make it back, just like we said we would. We did what was asked of us; we set our people free and now we can live our lives however we want to." She replied with a slowly growing smile that quickly blossomed as Amaury looked back to her. "It means we get to let our dreams take flight." He whispered back, furthering the warmth in her heart and causing her to lay her head on his shoulder and sigh in a passionate fashion. "I love you, Amaury." She hummed. "I love you too, Carina."

"You're going to come with me to Von Braun when, er, if I get to go back to school, right?" Carina questioned suddenly as they continued to walk, Amaury looking to her with a small smile. "Oh you want me there? I figured you would want some space; you know, to party with your friends and meet a few frat boys and such." He replied, causing Carina to gasp and slap his chest playfully. "Amaury Dietrich you know very well that would _never_ happen! Of course I want you there; I won't go without you!"She replied as he laughed and gently hugged her closer to his body. "I know babe. I don't think I would be able to be away from you for so long… even if it would be for a few months. You will get to go back, and I'm coming with you no matter what, just like we planned." He added as Carina smiled and hummed in content.

Those plans were closer now than ever before; so close that it seemed as if they could both easily reach and touch them. If Wright was to come through with his promise he would likely bring whatever she needed to return with him when he came to sign the form declaration of peace between the Federation and the New Republic, which meant that they would be able to head to Von Braun for the start of the nearest college session, should she not choose to delay enrollment. But going even past that, once she was done with school they would be free to start the family they had both dreamed about; to get married and have children, the thought of which brought an even bigger smile to her faces as well as a darker blush.

"Is this what has taken you two so long to get here?!" Tome's voice suddenly called out to the two of them through the crowd of people on the street in front of the Livewire, instantly bringing their eyes to the short pregnant woman's form surrounded as she stood next to both her father and, more surprisingly, Douglas. Tome had mentioned that she was going to attempt to drag Douglas out with the group and seemed rather adamant that she wasn't going to allow him to say no, but never in a million years did either of them believe she wouldn't be able to accomplish such an impossible task. "Is that Douglas?" Carina questioned quietly as she waved to their friends as Amaury shrugged. "It would appear so. I can't believe she did it. I wonder if he just said yes so that he wouldn't have to hear her complain any more." He jokingly hummed in reply as Carina laughed under her breath, making sure to hide her giggle before approaching their friends.

"For your information we are right on time. Six o' clock, just like we agreed on." Amaury countered as they came to a stop, causing Tome to cross her arms and huff. "Yeah but I'm hungry, my ankles are swollen and it feels like we've been standing here forever! Did anyone ever teach you two not to make a pregnant woman wait!" She exclaimed, catching several looks from onlookers before her father nervously laughed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now Tome I'm sure they had important matters to take care of. She's got her mother's temper, that's for sure." Emmett said with a small chuckle as Tome once again huffed and mustered a pout.

"At least Douglas was on time and he didn't even want to come." She replied as Douglas, who had held his hands in the pockets of his jacket for the entirety of his presence, shrugged. "She's right. I only came because she wouldn't shut up." The former pirate responded, immediately catching a glare from the girl's father and forcing him to put his hands up in an apologetic fashion to avoid being reprimanded as Tome scoffed. "Shut up Douglas, you wanted to come and you know it!" She replied as Carina laughed. "I know Latty is likely with Marcus at the hospital, but what about Naomi and Geoff? Are they coming?" Carina asked.

"Naomi is tied up on patrol duty and Geoff said he would stop by later, he's taking care of some sort of administrative mumbo-jumbo at Krupp's office. So for right now it is just us." Tome responded as Douglas sighed and started to walk towards the Livewire's front doors, likely tired of waiting for the rest of the group, prompting the others to follow inside. The club itself seemed to be rather crowded for a Thursday night. Dozens of people huddled onto the large dance floor while even more surrounded the large bar at the far end of the room, drinking, conversing and having a good time. The restaurant side was bust as well, but in preparation of this Emmett had called ahead to make reservations, and it wasn't long before they were escorted to a large u-shaped booth in the corner of the building, offering them an excellent view of the colony as well as easy access to the outdoor part deck should they choose to indulge in some fresh air.

With a large grin Tome carefully slid herself into the booth while making sure not to bump her stomach before turning to Douglas. "Well Doug what do you think? Do you have any places like this where you are from?" She question with a large grin as the man huffed and carefully brushed a loose piece of his bleach white hair out of his face. "I mean the whole End is constructed around the promise of cheap liquor and crazy parties, so… yeah. We have a lot of these places." He replied, though he instantly let out a small gasp as Tome punched his good shoulder. "You don't have to be a smart ass all the time you know." She complained, causing the others to laugh as Douglas huffed and rubbed his arm. "You don't have to hit me, ethier…"

With everyone now sitting and their laughter calmed Carina took the opportunity to thank Tome's father for his generosity. "Thank you for taking us all out to dinner, Mr. Himare. It's very kind of you." She stated, catching Emmett's eye as he raised one brow in curiosity before his lips formed a wide grin. "Oh please Carina, call me Emmett. Mr. Himare just seems so… old. Besides, it is the least I could do for you all for keeping my little Chickie safe out there." He replied, instantly causing Tome to gasp in embarrassment. "Dad!" She yelped as he huffed and turned to his daughter.

"What? It's true." Emmett replied, looking back to Carina and Amaury. "I wanted to more than this, something for the whole Movement, but Tome insisted against it." He added, once again causing Tome to speak up. "Yeah because I don't want to be labelled the rich girl! I hated that title all throughout high school… it sucks!" She whined again as Douglas laughed, causing Tome to once again hit his arm as Amaury laughed and Carina shook her head. "Well it is really nice regardless and both Amaury and myself are very thankful." She interjected while Amaury nodded and Emmett finally bowed his head. "You all are very welcome. Now, I hope you are all hungry, because here comes our server and nothing on the menu is off limits. Get whatever your heart's desire." He instructed, just as the young man serving as their waiter for the night approached the table and distributed the night's menu.

After ordering the food the five hungry diners began to conversate, talking about everything from their journey out to the Shoal Zone, Heaven's End and the Liberation to each of their childhoods, where they were from, their families and what their plans were now that they were free. Douglas hadn't had much to say as both Tome and Carina had figured. He was only just now beginning to open up to them all and they hadn't expected him to go far into detail about his past, but surprisingly Amaury did. When questioned by Emmett about what his story was the boy was shockingly open about his parents, his time alone on the street as well how he had survived, catching Douglas off guard. He knew that Amaury had been an orphan just himself and Latty, but he didn't know just how similar their stories were. Sure, his own history was a bit more checkered, but in essence Amaury had suffered just like they had. He had known him for months now, how had he not caught on to this? I didn't change the lingering animosity he felt towards him, but things did seem a bit… different now.

Listening to her father and the others talking back and forth Tome slowly began to shift her attention from her friends over to club on the other side of the restaurant, watching as the men and women on the dance floor moved along to the electric music playing overhead. Dancing had always been one of her favorite pastimes, ever since her mother introduced it to her when she was just a baby, though she hadn't done much of it since she died.

"I wish I could dance." She complained under her breath, interrupting the conversation between her dad and Carina, who had sensed her melancholy feelings the girl began to radiate moments before. "Why can't you? If you want to dance, go ahead and dance." Carina questioned in response as Tome looked to her. "I don't know… I've got nobody to dance with, and who would want to dance with someone who looks like they have a watermelon under their shirt?" She asked in reply as Carina formed a compassionate smile and shook her head. "Don't say that Tome! I'm sure there are plenty of people who would want to dance with you." Carina again stated making Tome smile. "I don't know, I think it would be awkward. Unless…" She added, turning towards the man sitting to her right side opposite of her father. "Come dance with me Douglas." She stated as more of a demand than a question, causing the man's eyes to widen.

"What?" He questioned as Amaury, who had been taking a drink of water, almost choked as he repressed a laugh. "You heard me. Come on, don't make me go out there alone. Don't you want to have a little fun?" Tome chastised as Douglas huffed. "I don't dance. Why don't you asked Amaury, I'm sure he will dance with you. He looks like the kind of guy who dances." He replied, causing tome to scoff and cross her arms in frustration. "He's obviously going to dance with Carina, idiot. Come onnnnnn!" She whined while staring at the man and moving closer to him with both hands on the seat between them, making him rather uncomfortable; so uncomfortable that, despite his better judgment, he nods. "Fine."

Hearing Douglas cave to the sheer amount of peer pressure put on his shoulders, Tome shrieked through her toothy grin. "YEEE! Let's go!" She exclaimed, snagging the man's hand in her own and dragging him out of the booth as her father stood to allow them out with a laugh that was shared by both of the lovers who remained in the booth.

Watching the two stumble out onto the dance floor and checking to make sure Tome's father was more intrigued by his daughter and her partner, Carina leaned over to Amaury. "Is it me, or does it seem like Douglas is getting more use to us by the day?" She asked, the boy agreeing with a nod. "He is. Sure is taking a liking to Tome as well. I didn't see that coming, especially with her being… well, Tome." He joked, causing Carina to giggle as she continued to watch Tome and Douglas dance. It was clear that Douglas really didn't dance, but it certainly looked as if he was trying. That or Tome was doing a good job of manipulating him to do so. Either way it sure looked like they were having a fun time.

"Amaury, um… if you are feeling up to it, would you like to dance as well?" She questioned, causing Amaury to tilt his head as he looked back to her with a small grin and weak rosy glow on his cheeks. Dance? Like Douglas he had never danced before, and with his artificial leg he was sure he wouldn't be any good. "I've never danced before, but if you want to dance… sure." He replied as the blush-ridden girl smiled. "I'll show you, don't worry." She said before sliding out of the booth and onto her feet, excusing them to Emmett as she held her hand out for Amaury to take as he stood up as well. "Don't apologize, I'm too old to dance. You two get out there with them, I'll be here when you get back!" He chuckled, and a moment later watched as the two followed in his daughter's tracks out to the dance floor.

Twenty minutes or so later the two young lovers burst out onto the rather empty party deck, both of them sweating and laughing hysterically. "That was amazing!" Carina exclaimed as she carefully dragged Amaury behind her, waiting until they reached the deck's ornate railing to overlook the city to spin around and wrap her arms around Amaury's neck, delivering a big, lust driven kiss that forced Amaury to place his hands on her hips to keep himself from falling off balance. "It sure was." He hummed into her lips in reply, laughing at the tickle of her long black hair as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder. Even if he hadn't danced before he couldn't deny that what he had just experienced was fun, though he was almost certain it was more so who he was dancing with that made it so.

"I love you, Amaury Dietrich." She added as she looked up to him with her wide green eyes, causing Amaury to smile and kiss her lips once more. "I love you too, Carina Dietrich." He replied, causing her to blush once more and bury her head into his chest as he pulled her into a tighter hug and ran one of his hands through her hair gently causing her heart to race as she sensed just how he felt inside. It was moments like this that made them both realize just how much their long journey to one another was worth it, as was all of the suffering and hardship they had been through while part of the Movement and the New Republic. Everything was coming together just how their dream planned it too.

Still holding his love in his arms Amaury's eyes slowly opened at the sound of sirens rushing down the street below, causing him to look down and watch as multiple police cars ripped by the building they were on top of in the direction of the port district. This wasn't an entirely alien sight; Dresden was a big city with a large population and there was often some sort of crime or emergency going on somewhere. But as the second set of police vehicles began to come towards them with several military vehicles as well, he couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

"Carina." He stated, giving her some slack on his arms so that she could turn around and look for herself, watching as the large olive-drab military transports passed by with their law enforcement escorts. She too found this strange as they wouldn't be driving such heavy vehicles that fast unless something was truly wrong. "I wonder what's going on." She added, turning to Amaury with concern before looking past him at the doors to the inside of the club as Tome and Douglas burst out onto the deck, phone in her hands and a look of pure panic across her face. "Tome? What's wrong?" Carina immediately asked as she let go of Amaury and stepped towards her friend, who despite her tan skin was nearly as white as a ghost. "I-It's… it's T-Tegan!" She stuttered, causing Carina to shake her head in confusion. "Tegan? What about him?" She asked as Tome shook her own and pointed towards the docks, the same direction all of the police and military vehicles were heading. "H-He's alive, and he's here!"

Almost instantly both Carina and Amaury's eye's grew as large as they could and from deep within a knot formed in the boy's stomach; his mind going blank save for the thought of his rival, more specifically the last time he saw him as he sank to the bottom of the harbor. "A-Alive? H-How could that be?" Carina questioned, grasping her heart as it beat harshly beneath the sundress she had bought for their night out. "A-And how d-did he find us?" She questioned further, recalling how she had shared the same reaction when Counselor Wright visited Hagen nearly a month ago. She was shocked that they were able to find them then, but how was it possible that a dead man was now knocking on their door?

"You tell me. I thought you sank his ass to the bottom of the harbor Amaury; what gives?" Douglas questioned, prompting Carina to turn back towards Amaury to speak but froze at the sight of her lover as he stared out towards the port district; his eyes' wide and mouth slightly agape. She could feel that his mind was rushing in each and every direction it could as evident by the slew of emotions he was putting off. "Amaury?" She questioned, but he was too trapped in his thoughts. How could this be happening? How could Tegan have survived, and better yet, how did he make it to Hagen? How could he have known where they were? Slowly the boy began to emit a raising psychic shrill that forced the others to wince, further worrying Carina. Subconsciously the boy began to grind his teeth as his mind continued to race back and forth between shock and anger. Did Pierce or Wright betray them? Was he alone? Almost all of their mobile suit fleet was in shambles, how could they fight him? Everything they had was spent in the battle of Cordova. Feeling his mind's failure to relax, Carina stepped forward towards him.

"Amaury?" She asked again, finally prompting the boy to snap from his trance. Instantly his eyes darted to hers and liguered there without a word for a moment or two as his psychic wave disappeared. "We've got to go." He stated in a calm yet clearly distraught manner as Tome nodded in agreement and turned back towards the doors leadinging inside. "Geoff is expecting us, let's go! We can take my father's car!"

"Un-fucking-believable." Geoff growled angrily under his breath as he stomped down the main access corridor in Dresden's port, heading towards a large assembly of National Guardsmen who had all gathered around a slightly distraught by greatly restrained Admiral Krupp who continued to maintain his composure as he issued orders to the division commanders around them, including General Ishim who had retained his position as the leader of the guard. "Teams Alpha through Echo, you will be responsible for keeping the population away from the port, the auxiliary docks and the reactor at the end of Dresden. By now the other colonies are aware of the threat at hand and are doing the same, so the rest of you will be manning the fort here. Lock down the mobile suit entrances as well as you can and prepare for any kind of boarding action. It is only a single suit, but this man is dangerous and we can not underestimate him. Understood? General Ishim, I'm counting on you to keep that mad man out should he come knocking." The Admiral ordered as the others acknowledged and began to scramble before turning to the rapidly approaching leader of his special forces. "This is a mess Geoff, I'm not going to lie." He called out while taking a deep breath as Geoff came to a stop by the Admiral's side, his sharktooth helmet under his arm.

"You're not kidding. How the fuck did he find us?" He questioned as Krupp laughed once under his breath once and looked up to the large LED display screen above them that usually showed departures and arrivals but now showed only an emergency message and orders for all non-essential personnel to clear the docks immediately. "How did he find us? How about how is he alive? I thought your team killed him on Earth." He replied as Geoff smirked, keeping to his usually cocky demeanor. "To be fair I said we were only ninety-nine percent sure he was dead, not completely certain. Bad roll of the dice I guess." The colonel responded, watching as a rather expensive black luxury vehicle pulled up to the docks and parked off to the side of the road in an area that it was obviously not supposed to be parked in, though he wasn't surprised to see a large portion of his team emerged from it the second the doors opened.

"There they are." He stated aloud as the group of four immediately rushed to his side the best they could given both Tome and Amaury's conditions. "How did he find us?!" Tome immediately questioned with a huff as Geoff shrugged. "Nobody knows. My only guess is that he must have found out about the shipments of goods come from Earth and ethier stole their destination coordinates or got it out of one of the crew members." He replied, looking to Amaury who's inner hatred and angst-filled struggle could be felt even without Newtype powers. "Amaury-" He began to stated only to be cut off as the boy spoke up. "I'm sorry Geoff, I didn't know. I still don't... how could he have survived, I-" He began to mumble before Geoff in turn stopped him.

"It's not your fault, kid. We all thought he was dead. I guess we should have learned by now not to just assume he won't come back to haunt us, eh?" He questioned, prompting Carina to squeeze Amaury's hand in agreement with Geoff. "What does he want, did he say? Is he alone?" She then asked as Geoff looked to her, then to Amaury, and then to the Admiral who sighed and scratched his head. "He is, and he is demanding that Amaury come out to face him once and for all." Krupp stated as Carina winced in frustration. "That's impossible. The Jaeger is not finished being repaired and Amaury is in no condition to fly, let alone fight that maniac alone." She restored as Tome chimed in. "She's right, between Geoff, Naomi and the others, what chance does a single mobile suit stand? Even if it is Tegan I'm sure you can take him down." Tome asked as once again Geoff and Krupp looked to one another.

"There is something else." Geoff began as he crossed his arms, still holding onto his trademarked helmet in his left hand. "He appears to have brought a nuclear missile with him as well, and says that if we try anything funny, or if anyone else comes to fight him other than Amaury alone, he will destroy Hagen."

Hearing Geoff's words Douglas grunted in annoyance as both Carina and Tome gasped, the former of which looked to her lover as he once more gnashed his teeth together and clenched his fists. "T-That bastard, he… he…" Amaury mumbled, thinking back to his fight against Tegan, more specifically to the moment he burst through Cordova Base's main gates. Tegan was in the process of switching mobile suits or so it seemed; was the suit he used to get here what he was after that day? Was he intending to use that missile to win the battle in Alaska? How did he survive? The water in the bay was much colder than the human body could survive for much longer than a few minutes, and if he was able to escape his mobile suit why wasn't he picked up by one of the Federation's patrol vessels?

"So what's the plan? He obviously isn't going to get to fight Amaury and that is going to piss him off beyond any chance of reasoning with him, if that was even possible from the get-go." Douglas questioned overtop of Amaury's stuttering and consequent thoughts, bringing Geoff to shrug and wave his hand towards his pregnant subordinate. "Like Tome said, we can take him. He's alone, likely tired and hopefully wounded." He replied, pulling his helmet onto his head and retracting the visor so that he could remain speaking to his crew. "I've already instructed Naomi and the others to keep an eye on him until I can get airborne. Once I regroup with them, it's on. We will take him down together. Now I suggest you all get somewhere safe, just incase he tries to attack the colonies." Geoff added as he turned to head for his Jegan, but as he took his third step he stopped at the sudden call of Amaury's voice.

"Stop!" He called out as he let go of Carina's hand and stepped towards his leader; his wide eyes bright with a reflection of the intense feelings inside of his chest. Looking over his shoulder towards the boy Geoff slowly turned around, watching as Amaury swallowed nervously, trying to form words in his dry mouth.

"This was my mistake. I failed to kill him on Earth, and now he's come for us." Amaury continued with an unbreaking attention on both Geoff and Krupp that darted back and forth between them equally. "He can't be allowed to destroy Hagen. This place… it's our home; our future. If he takes that away from us now, everything we have fought for will be all for nothing. Everyone who has died, everyone who has given everything…" He added, pausing to look at Carina, who's eyes had already begun to form tears. She knew what he was going to say before he even said it; he was going to fight Tegan.

"Amaury, you can't… your body can't keep taking this. Your going to kill yourself!" She cried out as the boy continued to stare at her until casting his gaze down to the metal beneath her feet. He understood what he was doing. He knew that his body had taken quite the beating and that he was pushing what he was capable of enduring, but what was he supposed to do? Tegan was arguably one of the most powerful Newtypes in the Earth's Sphere, seeing as he was able to go toe to toe with Elise, and against Naomi, Geoff and the others he would surely come out victorious, no matter how outnumbered he may be. Even if he didn't think highly of himself he knew that for whatever reason he had become an even rival to the madman now threatening their existence, as if his soul purpose was to stand up to Tegan and knock him back from the precipice of victory each and every time he approached it. It had to be him who fought Tegan, no one else.

His vision still locked to the floor, Amaury's head came back around to face Geoff and the Admiral, though he did raise his eyes. "I have no choice. " He said softly as both of his superiors looked to one another. They knew why he was doing this as well and as much as neither of them wanted to send the boy back out into what could easily be his death, Geoff knew there was nobody else better suited to fight Tegan, even in his current condition. "Are you sure? I need to know now. He's only given us two hours to prepare before he opens fire, and that was nearly a half hour ago." The colonel questioned his young ace who humbly nodded before lifting his somber eyes up to meet his own. "I will fight him… one last time."

Minutes later a transmission broke the silence inside of the now free floating Zeta-Stein, lighting up the face of the weary, malnourished pilot that sat cross-armed and silent inside. "Cerberus One, this is New Republic Flight Control, can you hear us?" A voice questioned, forming a grin across Tegan's face as he did so. They had even set up their own flight control? The notion that such an unrefined people would be posing as a civilized society out here in the void was rather amusing, causing him to chuckle. "Oh I hear you loud and clear flight control. I hope you have good news for me or I fear your little asteroid city may have quite the accident." Tegan replied in an eerie fashion, sending chills up the operator's spine as he did so. "I-I've just received word from our military command center; your request has been accepted. Lieutenant Dietrich is preparing to launch."

The boy's name spoken, Tegan immediately opened his eyes to view the screen before him with a loud clap of his hands. "Ah, yes! I knew he wouldn't let me down." He replied with an almost lighthearted laugh in his words. He had come such a long way to finish the nearly year-long fight with the man who had taken everything from him and it would have been such a shame to make it all this way to find out he was a coward in the end, especially since four of the New Republic's mobile suits had spent the greater part of an hour tracking his every movement and staring him down from a relatively safe distance nearly four kilometers away from him. "When can I be expecting the young rat?" He questioned aloud as the Operator looked back up at the dark screen before him, unable to see the Cerberus' face from the nose up, furthering the creepy atmosphere between them. "Within the hour, an hour tops." The controller added as Tegan again grinned. "Very well. Tell him I will be waiting for him." He replied before reaching forward and killing the link between himself and the Republic's flight controller.

With a hint of joy Tegan let out a long sigh of relief as he once again checked to make sure that none of the suits babysitting him had moved before leaning back in his Psycommu-chair and placing both hands behind his head. It was a long journey from Earth to this piece of the void the newest flavor of Neo-Zeon called home, especially since the first freighter he followed out was simply lost, not heading for the traitor's ports. It was by the grace of god that the second ship he contacted was exactly what he was looking for. Not only was he able to persuade the crew to give up their final destination in the New Republic, but he was also able to acquire much needed fuel and enough food and water for him to make it to his final destination in one piece. It was amazing how much respect he was able to command with over five hundred kilotons of nuclear force on his suit's back; if only he had taken control of the Zeta Stein a little earlier. This much leverage could have easily forced the Federation to back their pressure off of Cordova during their final assault,

But that was in the past and he couldn't spend anymore time lingering on what had come to pass as soon it would all be over. By the end of the day he will have killed the Green Demon who had haunted him for so long and made sure the New Republic could never, ever become a threat to Earth again. Here in space he was in his element; the environment in which he had spent his entire career preparing to hold Earth's enemies at bay in, and with the Neo-Zeon forces depleted capabilities little stood in his way. Even if they were to gain the upper hand he would not fail; one way or another he would drag the NRZ down into the depths of hell with him, no matter what. This was the end.


	48. Chapter 48: No Surrender

Within the hour preparations for Amaury's final duel against their long time foe were in full swing. The Jaeger, which had been placed in Hagen's dry dock immediately following their arrival back at home port, was rushed into completion, with all-hands lending to finish the machine before it's opponent became impatient and attacked the relatively undefended nation without haste. Already half repaired with parts from the former two design variations the machine had undergone over it's life, the final pieces were pushed into place not from reserve or from the newly arrived components from Mars or Heaven's End, but from the scrap received from Earth; the missing right arm of the machine replaced by that of a fallen Cerberus Confederation Jegan, as evident by the white paint that remained evident across it's metal hull due to the lack time to paint over it.

Although once again reassembled the Jaeger it was far from perfect, leaving much of it's systems operational yet exposed. So rushed were the dock workers that little to none of the received ammunitions and weapons from Mars and the End were even unpacked, resulting in the Jaeger receiving only the most basic of armament. Once more it's short barreled 180mm machine gun would be returning to the fight as would both of it's beam sabers, a single heat hawk and whatever specialized ammunition remained for the New Republic-custom 80mm vulcans on the machine's head, all supported by the Jaeger's left handed claw. As there was no more missile's for the machine's thigh racks or sturm fausts cut down enough to mount into it's wrists, both sets of mounts would be excluded from the machine's loadout, as would the two brackets intended to hold the machine's trademarked 360mm bazookas, hopefully giving the machine as much of a boost in accelerations, maneuverability and speed as possible.

Despite the lack of weaponry available to him Amaury did not seem worried. He knew from experience that rockets had proven less than effective against the more skilled pilots he had encountered over the last year and he could not recall having struck Tegan once with them, and with the battle that was about to occur destined to be a one-on-one where they would be focused purely on one another, he doubted missiles would be any more useful ethier. If he was going to take him down it would not be by superior firepower, but by his skills as a pilot and his abilities as a Newtype.

Shuttled over to Hagen in secret along with Carina, Tome and Douglas under Geoff's escort, Amaury remained relatively speechless as he prepared to face Tegan. Since accepting Tegan's challenge he had done little more than think about everything laid out in front of him. This was it; one last fight, winner takes all. This was for not only his own survival, but the survival of the New Republic and everyone who called New Hagen home. This fight was for all of his friends, his Carina and all of their futures; a future he was unsure he would ever see. Tegan was the most dangerous, unrelenting opponent he had ever faced in his entire life. His raw skill passed his own exponentially as did his cunning wit, with the only advantage he could clearly see being the Newtype prowess he possessed; skills that had helped him defeat him on Earth, but that clearly did not guarantee a kill against the Cerberus. Did he have what it would take to finally finish Tegan once and for all, or would he fail and fall victim to the mad man's vengeful bloodlust?

Amaury's silence hadn't gone unnoticed, nor had the blurred, neverending slew of emotions rushing through his mind since learning of Tegan's arrival, scaring Carina to death. On the outside he was doing his best to portray confidence and determination, but on the inside she could feel that he was scared, nervous and beyond angry. She didn't blame him; for over a week they had all lived under the impression that the war was over and that they were all safe, only to find out that it was nothing more than false hope. Right now they were supposed to be relaxing and enjoying their lives in their new home, safe from war, death and destruction, but instead they were now in what could very well be the most dangerous situation they had ever been in. Tegan possesed a weapon that could eradicate not only New Hagen but most of the colonies in close proximity to her from existence, and if her love was to fail, or something was to happen during the fight, they could all perish. Even with the utmost faith that Amaury would be alright Carina couldn't help but feel almost physically ill with worry and anxiety, causing her hands to shake despite Amaury's quiet reassurances that everything would be alright.

As much as time seemed to be dragging on it wasn't long before the two found themselves in an elevator rising steadily up towards New Hagen's docks; the last place Carina would see him before he set off to fight their war one last time. He was almost entirely prepped for flight, with the only thing left to do being to wrap his injured right arm; a task he entrusted to Carina. "Is this too tight?" She asked softly, looking up at her quiet lover from the corner of her eye, his vision locked to her hands as she carefully wrapped a bandage around the still healing wound.

"No, it's fine. Thank you, Carina." He replied softly as she shook her head. After all this time he still felt the need to thank her for taking care of him. "Don't thank me… it's my job to take care of you, my Amaury." She hummed with the smallest of smiles before looking back up to his somber face. At her request he wore a flak vest similar to the one issued to him for Operation Duality over his flight suit in an attempted to offer him a slight bit more protection for his already battered and bruised body, the sight of which instantly brought her back to the last time she saw him before their very first battle standing beside Marcus and Sam. She hadn't known it then but that was the first time she truly felt fear, not for her own safety but for his. Nobody knew for sure if they would make it out alive from their ambitious heist, but Amaury never stopped trying his best to make sure she felt as safe as possible.

"But you deserve to be thanked... not just for this, but for… everything." Amaury insisted as his eyes moved up to hers. "Without you, I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't have survived everything we've been through without knowing that I had you to come home to. You've taken care of me, you've shown me that I am better than what I use to be. I know I am wanted and loved… all because of you. You saved me, Carina." He added, forcing her to smile while also prompting her to shake her head, fighting back tears as she did so.

"I know why you are saying this Amaury… don't. Don't talk to me like you are not going to come back from this." She argued as she reached up and cupped his cheek, running her thumb over it gently. "You have to come back. I love you a-and I can't live without you. You understand t-that right?" The girl questioned.

Nodding his head Amaury slowly reached out with his right hand and took her left, intertwining their fingers together. "I love you too, my Carina. You are my whole world. My moon and my stars… I will always come back." The boy replied as she stepped closer and rested her head against his chest to listen to his heart beat. Would this be the last time she ever heard it? The heart that had shown her just how happy she could be?

"I-I'm just s-so afraid… afraid that w-when that door shuts on your suit, and you walk out that door, t-that I-I'll never s-see you again… I can't… y-you..." She whispered, biting her lip in a failed attempt to fight back the mounting tears in her eyes. "Y-You need to promise me you will come back, just like all those times before. I need you here w-with me. Our plans, our dream… it all needs you. Without you I will have nothing." Carina added, sobbing loudly into his chest as she did so. Crying wasn't going to help the situation, but she couldn't help it. Everything was at risk of collapsing around her; as much as she had seen herself as an independent woman before meeting Amaury, she knew she would never be able to live on without him. "P-Promise me it w-won't all end here… promise m-me."

Hearing Carina's sobs immediately sent a sharp pain straight into Amaury's heart, causing him to let go of the helmet he had been holding in his left hand, allowing it to float freely in the reduced gravity as he wrapped his arms around his beloved and pulled her into a tight hug. "Carina… don't cry. Please." He whispered, gently rubbing her back. "I promise I will return to you. There is nothing that will stop me from that." The boy added, looking down at his wife-to-be's face with a faint smile as her teary eyes locked to his own. "When all of this is finished, there will be nothing we can't do… your education, getting married… Emma and Armin… it can all come true. Nothing is going to keep me from being your husband or your dorm mate." He joked, causing the slightest giggle to come from her lips as his hand reached up and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "And nothing will keep me from being a part of our family."

With his last words Carina's smile fully returned, bringing with it a heavy blush that forced her bury her head into his chest once more as she feverishly tried to wipe the remaining tears from her face. "You better Amaury Dietrich." She sniffled out, looking up to Amaury once more for one final kiss, just as the elevator doors opened and revealed the short corridor towards the Jaeger in the distance, as well as not only Tome, Douglas and Geoff, but both Latty and Marcus, the later of which now stood of his own power with Latty's help for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"Marcus." Amaury immediately gasped as the two stepped out of the elevator, immediately causing the now one-eyed, dark skinned man to chuckle. "What, did you really think that I wouldn't be here to see you off?" He questioned weakly, walking towards them with one arm around Latty's shoulder while the other gripped tightly on a single crutch until the two men came face to face and immediately embraced one another in a tight, brotherly hug.

"It's good to see you Marcus, especially up and walking." Amaury stated in a quiet, almost choked up tone as he stepped back and allowed Carina to step in and hug her friend as well. "Yeah well I can't say it's been easy, but I'm getting there. Had to bribe the doctors to let me come down here." The man added as Latty huffed. "Yeah, against my opinion as well." She complained, causing both Marcus and Carina to laugh. "It was worth it. Besides, you know you can't be mad at me for long." Marcus added, kissing Latty's forehead as he did so before returning his attention to Amaury, just as Tome and Douglas joined them to each side.

"You know when we first met back in that dank-ass warehouse Krupp gathered us all in, I never knew I was speaking to the would-be hero of the New Republic of Zeon. I can't believe how far we've come; from untrainted recruits to this." The man added as Amaury shook his head. "I'm not a hero, Marcus. I'm just doing what I have to. People like Sam, people like Drex and Reo, as well as the countless others we've lost in all of this… they are the real heroes." He replied as Geoff crossed his arms and scoffed in disagreement. "You guys are always selling yourself short. You are all heroes, just like them. Without you, none of this would have ever come this far. Now we just need to finish it." Their Colonel added as Tome, Carina and Marcus nodded.

"If anyone is going to finish it, it will be you." Marcus said with a grin as Douglas smirked. "Yeah, just make sure you actually kill him this time. I'm getting really sick and tired of hearing his voice." He mocked, making Marcus laugh in the process as Latty scoffed. "He came a lot closer to taking him out than you did, cut him some slack. Besides, I'm sure this time he will get him." She stated, causing Tome to make two fists and hold them close to her chest, pumped up by the thought that this time Amaury would kill their foe. "Yeah, just one more battle, right Amaury? Then it will all be over." The girl questioned, catching the boy's eye as he grinned slightly and agreed, his face slightly red because of all the attention he was receiving and the weight being placed on his shoulders. "Just one more battle."

Knowing just as well as Carina that this could be the last time they ever spoke to their friend again Tome's demeanor shifted suddenly to sorrow, filling her eyes with tears as she bit her lip before rushing forward and wrapping her arms around a rather surprised Amaury. "Tome…" He whispered as he began to place his arms on her shoulders, but as he did so he suddenly found himself surrounded by the arms over everyone around him, including Douglas as Geoff pushed him into the large group hug. "Come back to us Amaury. This Republic needs you. Not as much as Carina does, of course." Geoff joked as Amaury stood still, his face darkened with blush as he took in just what was happening around him. Before the Movement, before all of this, he was nothing. He had no home, no friends; he was a nobody. Noone cared if he was happy or sad, or even if he lived or died. But now he not only had a home, but friends that cared about him as well as a woman who loved him more than anything. As far as he was concerned, he was the luckiest man alive.

"I-I will." Amaury finally replied after a moment or two, leading to the breakup of the large amounts of hugs around him, save for Carina who once again took her place by his side with her hand in his. Watching from the corner of his eye as Geoff moved to the elevator and grabbed his helmet, he wasn't the least bit surprised when their squadron leader approached him and handed it to him. "It's time Amaury. Are you ready?" He questioned, prompting Amaury to look at Carina who with great hesitation nodded. "I'm ready." Amaury replied as he looked back to Geoff who immediately motioned for he and Carina to follow him towards the Jaeger to prepare for launch.

Left alone once more Carina followed Amaury into the Jaeger's cockpit, waiting patiently for him to sit down and strap himself into the machine's seat before moving into her usual position on his lap. However, she did not barrage him with kisses like she had done before, and instead cupped his face with her hands, staring into his eyes as his hands rested on her hips. Just like during the battle of Cordova her mind began to race, wondering if this would be the last image of him she ever saw and filling her thoughts with what she knew she shouldn't be thinking about. "This is it, Amaury." She whispered while running her thumbs across his cheeks, trying her best to smile despite her breaking heart. "Please, please be safe… return to me in one piece." The girl added as Amaury leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. "I will my love, I promise I will. Besides… we have dinner plans, remember?" He replied with a small smile, an obvious throwback to their exchange during the mobile suit heist in the shoal zone that caused the watery eyed girl to giggle before once more kissing her beloved. "I'll hold you to that."

With that Carina once again reached behind Amaury's head and plugged the SICOS cable into the adapter on his helmet, locking it into the port on his neck before reaching over and flipping the switch cautiously to activate the system. Instantly Amaury's body tensed up like it had before though it was noticeably less painful, and after only a moment the panting boy's connection was established, allowing him to open his eyes and once again look into those of his lover. "I love you, my Carina." He whispered, kissing her once more before she back up and closed the visor of his helmet to ensure he would be in an airtight environment should his canopy be broken. "I love you too, my Amaury." She replied with a smile, cautiously lifting herself up from his lap and pushing off of his chair to float out of the Jaeger's cockpit; their eyes remaining locked until the last minute when he was forced to close the hatch to prepare for launch.

Drifting away from the Jaeger as it's eye illuminated and it's thruster began their pre-ignition warm up, Carina could not help but place both of her hands over her heart and pray. The boy inside of the off-green war machine before her meant the whole world to her, and if he was to die on this day she had no doubt that she would die with him. "Be safe, my love." She whispered to herself as she found her way to the catwalk nearest the Jaeger's torso, watching as it took it's first magnetized steps towards the airlock separating it's bay from the rest of the main hangar area. Moving quickly, the girl pulled from her pocket a headset that she had acquired before entering the elevator with Amaury and immediately placed it on her head, powering it on just as the airtight bulkhead door began to open, revealing to Amaury what lay on the other side; hundred if not thousands of people from across Hagen, all of which had gathered to see the Green Demon of the New Republic off to battle.

Within an instant Amaury's eyes widened at the sight of all the men and women floating around the sides Hagen's workshop area outside of the mobile suit lane. Many of them were clearly soldiers of the National Guard or dock workers, but even more were average citizens who unbeknownst to him had gathered to see the Jaeger's departure. "What's this?" He asked aloud as Carina tuned into the frequency shared by only the members of Task Force Oracle. "These are the people you are fighting to protect, Amaury. They all gathered to see you." She replied, once more filling Amaury with a mixed bag of emotions. These people came to see him?

"But Tegan is threatening to destroy Hagen… why haven't they fled to the colonies? It would be safer there." He retorted in almost disbelief as he took his first step out into the lane, watching the National Guardsmen keeping the people back so that they were not accidentally struck by the lumbering behemoth in front of them, most of whom waved frantically as the Jaeger's green monoeye shifted back and forth with Amaury's vision.

"Because they too know that if Tegan wins, it's all over." Geoff's voice cut into their conversation as he too stepped out into the lane ahead of Amaury in his green and gray camouflaged Stark Jegan. "The whole nation knows what is going on here, there was no hiding it. It all lies on you, Amaury. I know you can do this; the whole Republic does." The Colonel added as the boy in the green machine carefully following behind him towards the exit of the hangar and into the terminal entrance to Hagen's docks where they would be released out into open space, all the while watching those cheering around him. It was astonishing to him that a year ago he was a nobody, stealing and smuggling drugs to survive, never knowing what the next day would bring or where he would sleep that night. But now here he was standing tall, the hero of the New Republic. Would his mother be proud if she could see him now, wherever she was? He knew his father was. Could all of this ever make up for all of the bad he had done over his life, including during their journey to save their people?

Stepping into the terminal and waiting for the double airlock to close before progressing any further, Amaury watched as Geoff approached the only operational mobile suit catapult and locked his Jegan's feet into position. "What will you be doing out there while I'm fighting him?" He questioned as Geoff looked up from his controls towards the boy in their video connection. "Making sure Tegan doesn't do anything stupid, that's what. Plus, if you need help, it will sure be alot easier for us to respond already in our suits. Dig?" He questioned as Amaury nodded, though he was a bit hesitant. Even if he was wounded and in need of help he knew that their intervention would likely cause Tegan to lash out against Hagen; a risk his life was not worth.

"If he starts to win, it would be best if you don't intervene. He might resort to firing the ICBM if that happens." The boy protested, though it was immediately overruled by Carina who listened in from the dock's observation deck. "No, if you need the help, they will be there. Don't make me slap you when you come back!" She huffed as she crossed her arms, forcing Geoff to laugh as his suit's thrusters began to heat up. "You two kill me, do you know that?" He questioned, watching a flight crew operator floating past his machine towards the opposite wall, holding up a red light wand to signal him to hold position for the time being. "Alright Amaury, finish your pre-flight checks and prepare to launch as soon as I am out. I'll see you out there." Geoff added, watching as the wand of the crewman before him turned green, signalling that it was alright to launch. "Colonel Geoff Walker, Stark Jegan Custom; launching!" He exclaimed, pushing his suit to maximum thrust as the catapult released and sent the Jegan flying out into space before rapidly returning back to it's starting position to cool down and prepare for the next launch.

With Geoff clear of the launch lane and the catapult returned to it's ready position, Amaury knew it was time. With a deep breath he maneuvered the Jaeger's feet cautiously into position while doing exactly what Geoff told him to do; double checking his weapon's connection and the ammunition and charges for each. Everything appeared ready, and with no other excuse, he was as well. "New Hagen Flight Control to Lieutenant Dietrich; you are locked in an awaiting launch. T-Minus twenty seconds." A woman's voice cut into his radio following an advisory chime as the same crewmember who flagged Geoff out now moved in front of him, signalling him to wait. "Roger that Control, standing by." He replied as he stretched his fingers and toes to shake out the nervous tingling while closing his eyes to try and calm his racing heart.

In the relative silence of his wait and with nothing else on his mind but his foe, Amaury could feel very clearly those around him who's Newtype existence stood out like a beacon in the night. He could identify Tome, Latty and Douglas, as well as Carina's, and he could also feel those a few whom he did not know; Newtypes amongst those gathered in Hagen who had yet to be uncovered, their presence like little stars in a vast dark sky. But above all else, he could feel Tegan. Even before their first blows he could sense the man's desire to cause him harm and take his life, the aurora filling the space around Hagen like a magic spell from children's book. Tegan was a dark force that needed to be slain, and he was the knight who would do it. "Five seconds, Lieutenant." The voice called out once again, prompting Amaury grip the controls in his palms tightly in preparation to be thrown down the tube and out into space. In seconds he would be clashing against Tegan one last time, and he could not hold back or risk losing everything he held dear. This sentiment was reflected in his emotions, causing Carina to grip her chest and speak. "I love you, my Amaury." She quickly interjected into their private channel one last time as the crewman's wand turned green, snapping Amaury from his thoughts of Tegan back to Carina. He couldn't fail. He needed to return to her. "I love you too, my Carina."

"All clear Lieutenant, you are good to go!" Flight Control ordered, instantly forcing Amaury's thoughts to clear and his eyes open. "Amaury Dietrich, Konig Jaeger; launching!" He exclaimed as he released the catapult and launched himself out into space at maximum thrust, throwing the suit into a liberating spin as soon as he was clear of the launch bay. After all of this time he still felt the most free out in space, and despite the dire situation at hand it felt no different than the very first time. Coming out of the Jaeger's twentieth rotation Amaury looked up to his right as Geoff, Naomi and the pilots of their three loaned Ratniks formed a loose defensive perimeter at the edge of the colonies to protect them should Tegan target the innocent souls living aboard. Flying towards them he increased his speed to it's maximum and it wasn't long before his sensors alerted him to Tegan's presence in the distance with a loud ping as if he couldn't already sense him.

Without a word Amaury flew through the formation of his allied pilots, targeting the Cerberus in the distance as Naomi watched, her nerves just as shot as the others after being involved in a nearly two hour long standoff with the madman who had nearly brought Earth to its knees. "Goodluck, Amaury." She stated as he passed, watching as the hostile mobile suit in the distance ignited it's previously offline thrusters in preparation for the fight, the man inside likely aware by now that his requested foe was heading towards him.

As Naomi assumed Tegan was well aware of Amaury's arrival on the battlefield. He could sense him for some time now, causing him to become almost impatient enough to go looking for him, and after only a moment Amaury received a request to establish a private link to the Cerberus just like he had on Earth, though this time he opted to establish the connection through audio only. "Ah, there you are Amaury. I was beginning to think you weren't going to come out to face me, just like the coward we all know you are." Tegan immediately taunted as his optical sensors zoomed in on the machine approaching him at rapid speed; it's green eye piercing the darkness of space as the suit began slow down.

Hearing Tegan's voice Amaury grunted under his breath, confirming that it was truly the Cerberus he would be fighting. Part of him had hoped that it wasn't true and that Krupp and Geoff were confused, but it was clear now that he had somehow survived. "Tegan," He began with a grumble as he slowed to a near stop about a kilometer away from the his enemy, his eyes narrowing on him as he did so. He had never seen a suit like his before and it was clear that the parts that comprised it's gray and orange shell were not intended to be one machine. This fact was made even more obvious by the fact that across the machine's chest was a large emblem of the Principality of Zeon, as clear as the day. "I am only going to give you one chance. Surrender. Nobody needs to die. The war is over." The boy continued, focusing on the large missile launcher on the suit's back that must have contained his nuclear weapon as a laugh erupted from his foe.

"The war's over, is it? It doesn't seem that way from my perspective." Tegan replied with a bit of a chuckle, scanning over what weapons his rival had brought to the table; a solid projectile machine gun, a heat hawk and his suits heated claw. There was likely a beam saber as well, if not two if his memory serves him correctly. With such a high stake in this final showdown, why would he try to fight a suit equipped with beam weaponry with a measly machine gun and outdated melee weapons?

"I'll tell you what, Amaury. I've got a counter offer for you." He began to dictate, using his psycommu to lock on to the suit's cockpit with all three of his beam weapons. "Surrender to me right here and now, and I'll make sure no harm comes to your precious republic. Your life for all of theirs. Atone for all of your sins, and I will gladly accept your blood as a gesture of peace. What do you s-" Tegan continued, suddenly pausing as the Jaeger and the demon inside dashed towards him at breakneck speed, causing him to grin.

"I was hoping you would say that." He stated to himself, opening fire with his beam rifle as well as the cannons mounted on his hips while boosting backwards from Amaury, who instinctively darted back and forth to avoid the weapons fire. He knew that what Tegan was saying was a lie. He would never, ever allow the New Republic to exist in peace, and there was only one way this was going to end.

Dodging another volley of particle beam fire, Amaury lifted his machine gun and began to fire sharp, precise bursts, using his abilities the best he could to counter the Zeta Stein's erratic bursts back and forth. This suit was certainly an improvement over the one he encountered at Cordova, but it wouldn't be enough to ensure him victory. "I don't know how you found New Hagen, but it will be the last thing you ever see!" Amaury threatened as he continued to press his attack without much luck. His suit was acting similar to his own, bobbing and weaving in and out of fire; the flow of its body more human than machine, as if he too now possessed a SICOS. How was this possible? "Dammit..." He grunted out loud, letting off three to five round blasts to try and conserved his ammo supply, immediately concerning Carina who both listened in and watched with the others from the Jaeger's camera feed.

"What's wrong Amaury, is everything alright?" She questioned as Amaury closed the distance towards Tegan at a rapid pace and drew his heat hawk with his clawed hand. Before this fight went any further he had to know exactly what he was dealing with here, and there was only one sure-fire way to do so. "Something is different, he's…" He stated as he zagged back and forth, leaving a trail of light behind him as he did so. "He's moving as if he has a SICOS… but that can't be." He calmly replied as he dodged another burst of beam fire and moved in to engage Tegan with his axe, calculating a well-timed evasion to come in close enough to see the wires running up into his enemy's head unit.

In an instant he swung his blade up and towards the enemy's torso; a strike he knew Tegan could easily block, but what he was looking for was the manner in which he would do so. As predicted Tegan blocked the blade with his own, popping the saber from it's holster and holding it so close to his own suit that the paint on it's torso began to boil in a lighting fast reaction that was much faster than what he had seen the man accomplish before; way faster.

Tegan chuckled to himself, holding his opponent in place as the two suits stared one another down through the arcing electricity. "You like it? I planned to use it to destroy you at Cordova, but you had to go and ruin my plans." He asked as Amaury's eye twitched in annoyance. The only other thing he could think of is that this machine was equipped with a Psycommu device; a device he had never before fought against. "It's a Psycommu." The boy questioned as Tegan clapped, obviously taking his hands off of the controls and proving to Amaury that he was in fact controlling the Stein with his mind.

"Very good Amaury, very good. See? You aren't just some uneducated street scum from the colonies after all!" He stated as he quickly aimed the suit's hip weapons at the Jaeger to break their stalemate, forcing Amaury to dodge as he opened fire. "With this there is no doubt that I will defeat you, Demon! You won't defeat me this time; not even with that little trick you played on me back on Earth!" He exclaimed, only to have one of Amaury's bursts strike the Stein's left cannon, sheering it from the suit and causing the Cerberus to grunt in anger.

"You little-" Tegan snarled, chasing after his foe who cut him off. "Even with that Psycommu you won't win, Tegan! You should have stayed dead!" Amaury exclaimed as the two began a dangerous game of cat and mouse, the traces of their weapon's fire lighting up the dark night sky as the people all across the colonies watched on, half in amazement and half in fear. "A Psycommu, huh? So that's what he wanted so desperately to get at back on Earth." Geoff questioned as his eyes darted back and forth in an effort to follow Amaury. "That certainly makes things more difficult, but it doesn't make Tegan invincible. Amaury can do it."

Even with Geoff's confidence Carina couldn't help but feel the pit in her stomach growing. A Psycommu system was an extremely advanced network of neural interfaces and specialized mechanics incorporated deep inside of the machine's core, all the way down to it's frame. It was a similar system to the SICOS Amaury used, but was far more refined, reliable and effective as it was often attached to what was known as moveable frame, enabling the pilot to accomplish feats unheard of during the era of MS machinery used in the One Year War; machinery her lover piloted today. She couldn't be sure that mashed together suit Tegan was piloting was fully capable of feats like the suits Anaheim had developed to utilize the frame, but it couldn't be ruled out entirely.

"Amaury you need to watch his weapons. With that Psycommu he can target and fire with meere thoughts and if his suit is equipped with a true moveable frame it will be an almost instantaneous attack. Please be careful!" She pleaded, watching as the two once again locked blades with one another before backing off to fire their weapons. "I know, I know!" He exclaimed in a frustrated tone, nearly landing several strikes before being forced to correct his path to avoid both of Tegan's weapons firing in unison. It appeared that each of them were for the most part still able to predict one another's moves, making it relatively difficult to land a solid hit on the Cerberus.

This feeling of frustration was shared by Tegan as well who had believed that given the obvious superiority of the Zeta Stein's he would have a much easier time facing his foe. How was it possible that such an ancient machine could stand up to his own, no matter how well re-engineered? "I can play this game all day little rat, but how long will you last?!" Tegan screamed as he chased Amaury towards one of the colonies as the boy spun and once again unleashed a fearsome barrage of 180mm on his foe. "Long enough to defeat you!" Amaury replied as he spun around in a rather tight, intense turn and dashed straight towards his opponent, his mind screaming with such hatred and murderous intent that it resonated from him like the light of a distant star to the Cerberus.

"Let's go!" Tegan screamed as Amaury descended down towards him at maximum thrust, emptying what remained of his machine gun's magazine before tossing it off into space and drawing a beam saber from his suit's right thigh. He then rapidly put the Jaeger into a death spin and began to boost randomly in directions he knew Tegan was not firing to attempt and throw off his sense lone enough to close the distance between them. "TEGAN!" He cried in anger, surging his abilities and letting loose a brief psychic shriek that blinded the man to his intent, making it difficult to accurately judge what was about to happen.

Swiping his blade and the heat hawk in an cross pattern Amaury nearly bisected the Stein in half before Tegan boosted backwards to avoid the blow, costing him his handheld beam rifle in the process and further angering the pilot who spun his suit around and kicked the Jaeger as hard as he could, slamming Amaury in the seat as he did so. "Fuck you!" He exclaimed, immediately resorting to his remaining beam cannon to strike the recovering boy down, though at the last second Amaury spun to his left and moved the anti-beam coated armored shield of his left shoulder in front of the blast to deflect it away before boosting off to force Tegan to once more chase him across space. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't possibly be losing to this child, this inhuman monster, so quickly in this fight? He did not come all this way to be defeated once again, he came here to tear the Demon's spine from his body, and that was what he intended to do!

Seeing Amaury's little victory over Tegan, Marcus pumped his fist in the air and whistled as Tome did the same. "That's what I'm talking about, fuck him up Amaury!" The man exclaimed from his seated position on control deck before looking to Carina who Nervously stared out into space without a word, he eyes locked to the two streams of light and the sparks that flew from them each time they clashed. He knew just how worried about Amaury she was, they all did, and as much as they too were scared for their friends life he understood it was nowhere near the pain she was feeling in her chest knowing he was out there fighting for their lives.

"Do you remember how, during Operation Duality, Amaury took out those two pilots by himself?" He questioned out loud, drawing everyone's attention to himself, including Carina who seemed a bit confused. "What about it Marcus?" She asked as he shrugged, looking back out into space at the same lights she just was. "Think about it. He was able to take out two clearly experienced pilots by himself without any help, let alone any prior experience. He had never flown a real mobile suit a day in his life, but yet he won." He added as Carina looked down at the floor in thought, her hand still over her pounding heart. She knew what he was attempting to do and she would be lying if she said she didn't appreciate it.

"I was… so afraid. I thought for sure that he was going to die… that I would never see him or anyone else again. But he didn't. He survived, and he saved not only myself but the entire crew of the Tortuga from destruction." Carina replied as she thought back to the very next time she saw him as he floated onboard the ship he had saved; his smile and the hug that came with it something she could never forget. "You know that was supposed to be me who saved the ship, right? And I would have too, had it not been for that dickhead pilot in the hangar shooting me in the arm." Marcus again added with a laugh as Tome scoffed. "Oh please, those guys would have roasted you harder than I am right now; you've got a great shot, but when it comes to what he did that day, you wouldn't have stood a chance." She berated, catching a glare from Marcus' remaining eye as both Douglas and Latty laughed, though the later tried her best to keep her giggle hidden from her one-eyed lover.

"My point was that, when you think about it and scale it right, his odds of winning now are significantly better than they were then. We've been through so much already, and just like everything before he is going to get through this. We just need to have faith." The man stated as Carina looked back up into his eye and formed a small smile, appreciative of his attempts to make he feel better. "I do have faith. I do believe. Amaury is going to make it through this." She stated, looking to the rest of them as Tome smiled and nodded as well. "He's going to kill Tegan, finish this fight and be right back here with the rest of us in no time." Tome added to which Carina then agreed before they all once more turned back to the screen as the two continued struggling for dominance, drifting closer and closer to the colonies as they did so.

Seeing this, Geoff's vision narrowed on the two as his suit zoomed in on the machines. Neither of them had suffered irreparable damage save for the loss of most of their ranged weapons, but it was clear that Tegan was attempting to push Amaury closer to the colonies, though his reasoning for this was unknown. "Amaury watch yourself, he's moving you dangerously close to Dresden." He warned the pilot who in his fury hadn't noticed, forcing him to look around himself while continuously dodging particle beam fire. Geoff was right, Tegan was pushing him closer and closer to the colonies, likely in an attempt to force him to relent and possibly help him gain the advantage. "Roger!" The boy replied as he once more locked blades against Tegan, swinging his legs out of his cannon's aim as the Cerberus snarled. "Hold still!" he ordered as he fired again before having the weapon kicked away, temporarily knocking it offline and forcing him to reset it's calibration, momentarily disabling it from firing.

Words could not describe how much he hated this boy. Every time he began to snatch the advantage he quickly turned it back on him and ethier halted or countered what little gain he had made. Even the Psycommu wasn't enough to counter whatever bullshit technology was allowing the rat to block his actions from his mind, despite its intent to be the pinnacle of mobile suit control technology. "Nothing they are telling you will matter, Amaury. You've already lost… you just don't know it yet!" Tegan teased as he drew his second beam saber from it's rack and swung down onto the Jaeger's single beam, opening the Stein up to a slash from the machine's heat hawk though once more Tegan shifted the suit to avoid a mortal blow. This in turn presented him with a valuable opportunity to strike back.

While the Jaeger began to recover from it's swing Tegan fired his Stein's vulcan cannons at the beam saber in the machine's right hand, disabling it before shifting towards the heat hawk which, much to his surprise, had already been in the process of retaliating in true eye-for-an-eye fashion. "Shit!" He gasped, trying to pull his suit's hand back fast enough to avoid the blow but he was too late and the blade of the heat hawk slashed through the Stein's left hand, taking it's thumb, pointer and middle fingers off as well as the beam saber it held in it's hand. Boosting back and away from Amaury as fast as he could, Tegan quickly threw his machine forward again and rammed into the Jaeger, knocking it back towards the colony known as Dresden as he planned, once more giving him a chance to cripple the demon; one he could not risk wasting.

Pushing his assault, Tegan boosted forward at maximum speed and grabbed ahold of the Jaeger, rattling him and making sure to pin the joint of his left arm to keep both the heat hawk and the clawed hand that held it from swinging into himself. "You wanted to save your colony oh so badly, didn't you Amaury?!" He yelled as Amaury struggled to break free, eyeing the rapidly approaching O'Neill cylinder with an evil grin as suit began to warn of imminent collision with the extremely large object. Seeing the colony from the corner of his eye, the boy began to strike the Stein's head over and over with his right hand while simultaneously trying to lift his legs up to kick him off, but Tegan pinned his knees against the Jaeger's legs, forcing him to try and reverse thrust to fight their approach.

"GET AWAY FROM THE COLONIES YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Amaury cried out in anger, causing yet another, more powerful psychic pulse to pierce Tegan's mind, though the Cerberus simply grinned. "THAT WON'T SAVE YOU!" He yelled before lifting his own legs and kicking Amaury backwards as hard as he could into Dresden's reinforced hull with such force that the underground utilities in the city blocks directly beneath him snapped, causing power outages in the areas attached to that grid and blowing fire hydrants out of the ground.

Crying out in pain as his head slammed into the back of his seat Amaury instantly felt his left eye blur with what he assumed was blood as more came rushing from his nose and down his sinuses and into his throat, causing him to gag as he gasped for air. He could also feel his right eye blurring and the stitches in his arm tearing; a testimate to just how hard his impact with his childhood home had been. "G-GUAH!" He exclaimed as he tried his best to focus forward at his foe approached at rapid speed towards him with his beam saber reared back to spear him through the cockpit and deliver the final kill; those watching through his camera's back on Hagen gasping as the Cerberus neared.

"AMAURY!" Carina screamed at the top of her lungs, causing him to regain focus on Tegan at the last possible second as time once again slowed in his mind and from it came another massive shockwave of psychic energy. Once more gasping he shifted the Jaeger to the side just enough to avoid the blade while moving away from the colony so that the beam sabers blade would not pierce into the substructure, catching the Cerberus off guard.

"What?!" Tegan gasped while attempting to turn to doing his blade back into Amaury, but before he could do so the boy grabbed into his suit's arm with his claw, piercing into the metal and creating a strong hold on him. He then boosted his suit around as fast as he could, slamming Tegan face down into the metal surface below before igniting his boosters to their absolute maximum, letting out a hellish scream and grinding Stein suit across the length of the Colony's surface at high speed. "You son of a bitch- GET OFF OF ME!" Tegan snarled with a twitch in his eye as his displays flickered, likely taking damage from the boy's savage attack. Reacting, the Cerberus attempted to fire his remaining beam cannon backwards into the boy, though Amaury sensed the attack and shifted to avoid the shot before crushing the already damaged weapon against the colony with his knee as sparks and pieces of metal continued to fly from the Stein. His the suit was also taking other forms of damage, including damage to it's main optical sensor as well as some sort of airlock integrity issue that now caused a loud alarm inside of his cockpit to begin blaring.

Gnashing his teeth together in anger, Tegan knew he had to do something and fast. He hadn't had the opportunity to grab a helmet suited for space flight, meaning that if the airlock inside of his cockpit were to fail he would die from asphyxiation almost instantly; an unfitting end to his journey he was unwilling to allow to happen. Scream in anger as well, Tegan did the only think he could think of and threw the machine backwards as hard as possible into Amaury while also attempting to transform the Stein into half-wave rider mode. This move was risky but ultimately proved successful, giving Tegan enough leeway to then spin around and attempt to strike Amaury with his beam saber and forcing him to relent and back away to avoid being destroyed.

"Bastard!" Tegan exclaimed as he immediately seized the opportunity to distance himself from both the boy and the colony, utilizing his already transformed suit's speed to return to the spot they started their fight while rapidly going over his systems. He no longer had any ranged weapons other than his Vulcan guns and with only one remaining beam saber both his offensive and defensive capabilities were now severely limited. To make matters even worse, the alarm signaling a cabin depressurization continued to blare loudly in his face and a timer had appeared across his HUD displaying what the suit believed would be the estimated amount of time before all oxygen leached through the breach in his seal and out into space: five minutes. "It can't be…." He grumbled he watched the Jaeger as it chased after him, it's heat hawk in it's right hand as it prepared the claw in its left to strike him down. His time in this fight was once again limited, just as it had been on Earth. He had failed to keep the Demon from gaining the upper hand. How could this be happening again?! "You fucking pest!" He snarled under his breath, firing his Vulcan guns at the Jaeger as it approached, locking his beam saber to the machine's heat hawk and dodging his claw before shifting all of his thrust to again put distance between himself and his enemy.

At this rate he would surely die fighting this man and given his resilience against his attacks even in a superior mobile suit, he was unsure if he would finish off Amaury before his oxygen ran out. Was he really doomed from the start? Why couldn't he defeat him?! He was just a kid; a kid no older than his mid twenties who was never properly trained to fly a mobile suit, let alone out perform a member of one of the Federation's most elite clandestine operations units. "Why won't you die?!" Tegan snarled as he looked down at the Green Demon hot on his tail, and then out towards the rock the New Republic had crawled into and labeled their home. His intent was originally to destroy Amaury and purge the world of the New Republic's existence with nuclear hellfire, but with defeat lingering over him it seemed that his plans needed to change.

Making his way back down towards the colonies, Tegan eyed New Hagen in the distance, as well as the five mobile suits lingering around in space, likely there to keep him in line and in accordance to the battle he had requested. "You've made it hard for me to fight fair Amaury. You continue to use whatever it is that is keeping me from reading your actions, putting me at a disadvantage that I could only mitigate through skill and my Psycommu when I should be using such things to put an end to your miserable life." He began to monologue as he continued to strike the Jaeger over and over again with his vulcan cannons, all the while using his mind to begin prepping the ICBM on his back for launch. "It seems I will need to show you what it's like to be cheated." He added as cap on the launcher's tube depressurized and opened, unbeknownst to the boy chasing after him. "Shut your mouth and get back here! Let's finish this!" Amaury growled in anger, causing Tegan to laugh. For this to work he had to position himself just right, making sure that he could adjust himself so that he Amaury was not between him and his finally target.

"You are such a fool, Amaury. Such a goddamn fool." The Cerberus added as he made a mad dash towards the colony Cybele, causing Amaury to narrow his eyes on the machine in front of him as they passed by Achilles and then towards Stanton, swirling around the colony's solar array as they did so. Why was he talking like this; like there was something he was missing, right before his eyes? "Enough!" Amaury again snapped trying to get Tegan to be quiet but the Cerberus once more laughed, and shifted his attention from the Jaeger to New Hagen, causing Amaury's eyes to widened. He could no longer feel Tegan's thoughts of violence on himself, nor could he feel what he was going to do next. What was happening? Had he somehow figured out how to block his Newtype abilities, just as he did to him?

Without warning Tegan's trajectory shifted from Cybele back to Dresden, causing him to take a sharp, intense turn and bypass Amaury who swung at him with his claw as the two passed. "Don't worry, you'll see what I mean soon enough." Tegan taunted as the missile's status changed to display that it was ready to fire, immediately prompting him to raise the launcher up over his shoulder as he spun around and faced directly down at New Hagen. "In the long run I guess I shouldn't feel too bad… they were all going to die anyway. And you know what they say, Amaury… all is fair in love and war."

Instantly Amaury gasped and his clenched his teeth together, his wide eyes watching as Tegan pulled the trigger to fire the weapon and the missile's engine ignited, propelling the warhead out of the tube at rapid speed. "NO!" He cried out at the top of his lungs as he immediately attempted to chase after the missile, but was instead forced to evade as Tegan's thoughts suddenly returned onto him, swinging his beam saber down onto him as he neared. "Your not going anywhere Amaury! This is the end, for you and the Republic of Zeon! You all die today!" He exclaimed as the furious boy screamed in anger, rapidly clashing against the Stein as the two once again began their power struggle, all the while watching from the corner of his eye as the weapon approached his newfound homeland. "CARINA!" He cried, trying to warn his lover who watched his screen in horror.

Back at the colonies alarms across the Republic began to sound as their long range scanners picked up a third object moving towards them; an objecting that, given its size, rapid speed and origin, they knew was Tegan's weapon of mass destruction. "The enemy suit has launched its nuclear missile! I repeat, the enemy suit has launched its nuclear missile! All personnel, evacuate the docks and seek shelter inside of Hagen immediately!" Hagen's flight controller began to scream as those around him scrambled to seek cover. "C-Carina we need to go, this place won't survive an explosion like that when it hits!" Tome warned as she reached out for Carina's hand to lead her way, but the stubborn girl shook her head and it pulled her hand back towards her body. If she left the bridge she wouldn't be able to watch the Jaeger's cameras, and if the nuclear weapon did hit Hagen and the city wasn't instantly destroyed, the resulting EMP would kill all communications, cutting her off from Amaury. "I'm not going, I need to stay here!" She contested as Tome grunted angrily and Douglas waved his hand towards the exit.

"Are you fucking nuts, we have to go! Now!" He argued prompting Marcus, who also had been sitting still calmly, to speak. "She's right." He stated, looking to Carina and then back out into space. "I'm not leaving either. We are dead either way if that warhead hits, and not just Hagen, but the colonies too. " He stated as he stood up and walked over to Carina and rested his hand on her shoulder, once more causing to Douglas to grunt and twitch in disbelief, especially after seeing that his sister seemed to be making the same foolish decision. "What is wrong with all of you- Tome! Tome, what are you doing?!" He blurted out as Tome hesitantly stood still as well, looking into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head. "I... " She muttered, holding her stomach as she looked back out to space, just as two more bright lights appeared, though this time heading straight towards the nuke.

"Naomi!" Geoff's voice called as he sped towards the missile, making sure the woman was behind him which, much to his relief, she was. "I'm right behind you, I know what to do! Just like we planned!" She answered as the two darted at their maximum speed towards the weapon, causing the group of friends to gasp simultaneously. "Geoff, is that you?!" Carina questioned into her headset as the man laughed. "Who else would it be? Did you really think I trusted Tegan not to be a fucking asshole?!" He exclaimed, narrowing his eyes on the rapidly approaching missile. Ever since the advent of Mobile Suit technology these things had been designed to be faster than your average machine, but it just so happened that the Stark, or more specifically his Stark, was no average mobile suit. "We are only going to have on shot at this Naomi. Just like we talked about, alright?" He questioned as the numbers between himself and the missile quickly counted down to zero as she replied. "Yes sir!"

Boosting the Stark into overdrive. Geoff drew both of his beam sabers from their charging racks and ignited their blades, cutting a cross section in the air as he did so that his weapons were by his side and ready to strike. "Alright Naomi," The Colonel stated as he neared the shrieking missile, preparing to intercept it. Not more than a second later Geoff made contact with the missile and as planned lifted both blades over his head before slashing both blades down into the missile, separating the warhead from the body and bisecting what remained into thirds, the resulting explosion filling the area, though it caused little damage to the Jegan. "Here she comes!" He exclaimed as the warhead continued to fly forward towards Naomi who, with great concentration, gentle hands and a whole lot of anxiety, snatched it from the air like a ball and cradled it against her cockpit, praying it wouldn't detonate. Holding her breath, the woman immediately began to slow herself and her temperamental payload down to a slow crawl, waiting until she had nearly stopped to exhale and call back. "I've got it!" She exclaimed as Geoff took a deep breath and grinned at her through their connection. "Thank god. Get that thing to Hagen STAT so that our bomb squad can deactivate it."

Instantly cheers filled the flight control deck as those who remained watching sighed in relief while Tegan ground his teeth together in seething rage. With the missile gone and less than three minutes of oxygen remaining, his mission was moving closer and closer to failure by the second, driving him further into desperation. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" He screamed as he parried away Amaury's attack and attempted to strike back to no avail before once again locking blades with foe before reaching out and punching the Jaeger's head twice, cracking it's main sensor screen. In this brief diversion he then pushed off away from the Jaeger and began to make a straight descent towards the two suits below that stopped his righteous and game-ending attack, causing Amaury to reach up and grab the mauled hand with its claw, crushing the hand and forearm with the blades. "GET OFF!" The Cerberus cried in anger, kicking Amaury in the cockpit again with enough force to tear the stein's already useless left forearm clean off, allowing him to descend on Geoff and Naomi at full speed; Geoff moving in front of Naomi just as she began to head for New Hagen.

Set on not allowing Tegan to engage his friends, Amaury tossed the Stein's arm to the side and laid chase to the Cerberus, forcing him evade as he targeted his main thrusters with his head guns. "TEGAN!" He screamed in blood boiling rage, temporarily blinding him just long enough to shoot out one of the verniers on his back, causing him to veer off course. Grunting, Tegan turned and watched as the Jaeger caught up to him, prompting him to begin shooting the machine to try and scare him off, though the demon continued forward and shoulder rammed the Stein as hard as he could. Filling their comms with his rage fueled screams, Amaury began to rip and tear at the Stein who had spun to fight back as they neared Geoff and Naomi and quickly passed by them at a very fast rate of speed towards New Hagen.

"Amaury what are you doing? You're heading right for Hagen!" Geoff warned as the boy continued to exchange blows back and forth with the Cerberus, using whatever he could to inflict damage. His claw, his heat hawk, the suit's legs; everything was being used as a weapon, though in desperation the Cerberus, who had also been vocalizing his anger into the link between him and the boy, did the same. "COME ON!" Tegan screamed at the top of his lungs, piercing the Jaeger's right thigh with his beam saber, destroying Amaury's own remaining saber before the boy grabbed ahold of the Stein and again boosted straight down a hard surface, though this time it was the massive asteroid he was risking his life to protect.

Approaching quickly and with his bloodied eyes wide the boy slammed the Cerberus into what he assumed was an auxiliary mining chute used to allow large shuttles direct access to the interior of the asteroid, bending the exterior airlock and pinning the Stein down into it with all his might. The force was enough to cause the Cerberus violently cough blood out into the thinning air of his cockpit, even with the inertia dampening system in place within the Stein's cockpit, and he could tell that he had at least broken a rib or two off of the vertebrae in his back, if not more. "D-DAMN YOU, DEMON!" He cried out in pain as he fired the Stein's vulcan guns at Amaury's head, damaging the Jaeger's left gun and infuriating the boy even more. Taking his claw, Amaury lifted his weapon to crush the Stein's head but failed as the bulkhead gave way, sending both suits hurtling down the shaft towards New Hagen's long open chasms; several emergency airlocks closing behind them as they flew to ensure that the rock would not lose its atmosphere.

Almost immediately the alarm inside Tegan's suit pertaining to his loss of cabin pressure had stopped as the two, now under the burden of ever increasing gravity, continued to fight, severing Amaury's comms link as well as his video feed as Tegan slammed him into the wall of the tunnel. This fight was not one sided however, and in return Amaury did the same in retaliation, crushing both of the Stein's antennas off of it's head as well as destroying another of its vernier thrusters with his claw, further limiting its maneuverability. Back and forth the two exchanges blows until finally bursting through a barricade at the end of the tunnel at such high speed that both suits erupted out of the ground and into the open-air environment above the developing third business district. Surprised, Tegan immediately dashed forward and locked blades with Amaury as lightning arced from their weapons; the two watching as all of the construction crews below scattered towards the terminal to avoid the coming fight. Looking around at the several city blocks that were being built as he held the Jaeger at bay, Tegan smirked. This was what they had been doing? Building a city inside of this hollowed out old mining asteroid? Did they really expect to live like this, as if they could hide from the rest of humanity for the rest of time?

"Hmph!" Tegan groaned as he pushed back against the Jaeger, sending both suits in opposite directions towards the ground as both slid to a stop in the dirt streets below, Amaury taking extra care not to crush any buildings below him while the Cerberus did what was necessary to facilitate a safe landing for himself. "Quite the place you've got here, Amaury-boy. Too bad it won't be around much longer, thanks to you." He added with a light laugh between pants, causing Amaury to grind his teeth in frustration. "You're an idiot if you think you can still win this! It's over!" The boy replied as Tegan begam running a quick diagnostic to see what damage had been done. Now that he was inside an area with an atmosphere his most troubling issue was irrelevant, opening him up to once more achieve his goal.

"If you really wanted this to be over you should have kept me outside. My suit was leaking air and I don't have a helmet. Another two minutes and I would have been a goner for sure." The Cerberus admitted, causing Amaury to grunt in annoyance. "If anything you saved me, Amaury. You should be proud. But, I must admit I have no intention of saving you or your people. You, the New Republic; this sham nation all ends here, today." He added as Amaury slammed the Jaeger's foot down onto the dirt street below, holding his weapons out to the side as he prepared to once more charge into the fray against this mortal enemy. "The only thing that ends here today is you Tegan!" The boy snarled, exposing his gnashing teeth in an almost feral, anger driven death glare at the man in front of him as both his heat claw and hawk steamed in the cool colony air. This was the last time they would fight one way or another, and he was not going to let this man win!

Seeing Amaury's preparation for one final round Tegan began to do the same, posing himself in a strike position with his remaining beam weapon at the ready. He too knew this was the end of the line and if he was going to die he was going to take the man who killed his brother and ruined his life with him! "We will see, won't we? It's time I avenge my brother's death and send you back to all those other dead Zeonic pieces of shit like you; I'm going to make you pay, once and for all!" He replied, attempting to make Amaury move first; his plan succeeding as the boy boosted forward down the street towards him.

"I'LL GRIND YOU INTO DUST JUST LIKE HIM!" Amaury cried out, widening Tegan's eyes with hatred as he did the same. Throwing his suit at maximum thrust Tegan slashed at the metal beams of a building that was being constructed in half, growling in anger as he answered Amaury's call. "YOU WON'T GET THE CHANCE, DEMON!"


	49. Chapter 49: The End of All Things

In a panic Carina rushed from Hagen's flight control towards the third business district with tears in her eyes and a pounding, terrified heart. It had only been a few minutes since Amaury and Tegan collided with New Hagen, but without being able to see or hear what was going on she couldn't help but be afraid. She could tell that both were still alive based on the amount of hatred and anxiety being generated from within the asteroid, as well as the reports of the two fighting in the streets, but she couldn't just sit back and wait for the battle to end. She needed to see what was going on now!

Floating until she reached enough gravity to run, the girl immediately took off running, leaving all but Douglas behind. "Carina wait; the others!" He argued as he ran behind her through the crowd of concerned civilian contractors gathered in port's main terminal, but the girl shook her head. "I-I can't wait Douglas! I can't!" She objected, causing the man to grunt as he continued to follow her down the massive open corridor, through multiple emergency bulkheads and towards the District 3's terminal entrance which. As they entered into the short tunnel leading towards the city however they were greeted by the sudden sight of not only a large amount of people also wishing to see what was happening, but the blockade of their National Guardsmen keeping them from doing so.

"Shit!" She cursed under breath as she ran up to the barricade and immediately began to slide in between two of metal, waist high shoulder pieces, only to be stopped by one of the soldiers. "I'm sorry ma'am, you can't go into the city. It's too dangerous." He warned as Carina growled and slammed her hands down on the metal crowd fence. "I don't care, I need to get in there! I need to see what's going on!" She exclaimed just as Douglas caught up to her and hunched over to catch his breath. "What's… going on?" He questioned with his good arm on his knee for support, to which the girl huffed and pointed at the soldier behind the barricade. "This ASSHOLE won't let us through!" She exclaimed, catching Douglas off guard. She didn't curse often, so it was clear that she was very, very upset at the current moment, though he couldn't say he blamed her. For all they knew Tegan was in there finishing Amaury off as the sat here with their thumbs up their ass.

"Do you really not know who we are? We are part of Oracle; Colonel Walker's crew? The same damn crew who just went to Earth and fought the Federation's war for them?!" Douglas stated in an attempt to convince the guardsmen to let them pass, though the man was unphased. "I'm aware of who you two are, and I don't care. Orders are orders, and those orders are to not let anyone through until District 3 is deemed safe, as per General Ishim." The soldier retorted, bringing Douglas to slam his hands down on the metal barrier as well. "Seriously?!" He growled as both he and Carina's eyes shifted to the other guardsmen to their side who forced the crowd to disperse, allowing a group of modified Type-61 tanks recovered during the Liberation to pass through towards the city.

Seeing the antiquated vehicles, Douglas scoffed. "Tanks? What the hell do they think those are going to do?" He questioned out loud as he watched the group of five pass by, followed by an open-topped command vehicle which, upon seeing who rode in the back, caused Carina to speak up. "Admiral Krupp! General Ishim! Hey!" She exclaimed, yelling as loud as she could while waving her hands over the barrier almost in the opposing soldier's face; a move that paid off well. Seeing the two, Krupp immediately ordered the car to stop and disembarked as soon as he was able to do so before heading right over.

"Major Hughes, why are you not in a safe area?" He questioned as he approached, almost instantly causing Carina to speak up. "Amaury is there fight Tegan, Admiral! I can't just stand by and hope he will be okay, I need to see!" She yelled before pointing to the soldier before them. "And this guy won't let us through!" She added as the soldier grunted and waved his hand to try and pass blame, but before he could speak to defend himself Krupp laughed. "Don't blame him, he's just doing as ordered." He stated as he shifted from Carina and Douglas to Tome, Latty and a Marcus, the last of which struggled to keep pace even with his partner's help.

"I'll take them back with me, Sergeant. All of them. You are doing a fine job however, keep up the work. This will all be over soon." He stated, motioning for his personal guards to open the barricades and allow the group of five to pass through before looking back to the group. "Alright you five, if you are coming with me, let's go. I need to see what is happening myself, especially with these fine men and women looking to take a bite out of Tegan themselves." He added with a grin as he turned and began to walk back to his car and motioning for another to pull up with them as well to carry the influx of passengers.

Wasting no time the others quickly followed and piled into the two vehicles despite the fact that it wouldn't be a far drive. "Thank you Admiral. I-I know he was just doing his job, but-" Carina began to explain herself as Krupp shook his head. "Don't apologize, I understand. Amaury is in danger and you are worried. It is perfectly okay to be upset." The Admiral replied as the convoy of two began to move again, catching up to the tanks in front of them as they came to a stop at the edge of the city, just short of the end of the low grade, long distance ramp that led up and into the terminal. The Guardsmen who were in the city had been hard at work placing what appeared to be metal, small arms resistant barriers and sandbags across the road that the tanks now spread out evenly behind, and had even deployed several anti-mobile suit missile launchers across their makeshift fortifications. They were ready to fight should they have to, even knowing that their small arms and tanks were little match for a high-grade mobile suit.

Immediately though, the group noticed something; Amaury and Tegan were nowhere to be seen. "Where are they?" Tome questioned as the group exited the car they were in and gathered around Krupp and Ishim, who both stood and scanned the horizon as well. Smoke was rising from the half-built city blocks around them and the sound of metal on metal clashing and vulcan cannons revving could be heard echoing throughout the colony, but the towering machines could not be found anywhere. "The fighting has been pretty sporadic. One minute they are here in front of us duking it out, the next they are all the way across town in the undeveloped sections." A soldier replied, causing Carina to grunt. At first she was impressed by the rapid amount of progress the contractors forming New Hagen's structures were making, but now they seemed more of a curse than anything else. The multi-story, prefabricated buildings, some of which were nearly on their seventeenth level by now, were wrapped in construction tarps to minimize debris and dust falling the structures below, effectively blocking out the human eye from seeing more than a block or two down the main drag.

"Well, at least they are still fighting. That's a good sign." Douglas stated out loud to try and relieve some of the anxiety being emitted by the group, though no sooner did he finish did Tegan's mobile suit suddenly appear several blocks down from the roadblock, flying backwards into a building from a nearby intersection and slamming into the metal skeleton of a developing highrise. "Shit!" Marcus exclaimed as the group nearly jumped out of their boots, watching as the Stein raised its head and began to shoot back down the street from which it had just came with his vulcan guns at Amaury, who rolled head over heels onto the main avenue and slammed his heat claw into the building as Tegan boosted to the side to avoid being struck. "Amaury!" Several of them exclaimed in relief after seeing that Amaury was still in the fight, including Carina who watched on in both awe and terror as Tegan swung his beam saber down onto the Jaeger, only to be blocked as Amaury quickly raised up his heat hawk and parried the blade away.

Stepping forward towards the barrier the girl's eyes widened in wonder as she watched the Jaeger's fluid, humanoid movements back and forth, dodging and striking rapidly at his opponent who did the same. Never before had she seen mobile suits behave like this, even after Amaury had received his SICOS, causing her to worry even more about the stress being placed on his body. Even more troublesome was the fact that while she was not completely sure of who's feelings she could sense, she knew Amaury was angry; so angry that he was nearly reaching the same levels as when he began to hallucinate during the defense of the colonies from Tegan's attack. This was not good. While he had done well in his recovery he had never fully returned to normal, worrying her that he might once again snap and falter, allowing Tegan to kill him.

"God, Amaury…" She muttered aloud as Latty stepped behind her, she too watching as the two battered each other back and forth. "It's incredible… this has to be because of the SICOS and the Psycommu, there is no other explanation." The woman added as Carina continued to stare forward with her hands over her chest. "He can't keep fighting him like this, we need to help him somehow." She replied as Marcus and Douglas as well as Tome now joined them, the one-eyed man pointing back at the tanks behind them as he did so. "I think they are about to, don't worry." He explained as Carina turned to watch the Type-61's elevating their guns towards the two struggling men to fire as General Ishim stepped forward between two and held his hand above his head, waiting to give the word.

However, just as they were about to fire the Jaeger's eye instantly darted towards the barricade, locking onto Carina and then to the tanks behind it as they aimed at him, causing the boy inside to let out a psychic shriek that caused the four Newtypes to wince in pain. "STOP!" He exclaimed over both his suit's external loudspeaker and it's short range comms as he ducked to dodge Tegan's saber being thrust towards him, uppercutting the Stein in it's jaw and knocking it backwards as he did so. They couldn't help him as doing so would make them a target; something he couldn't and wouldn't risk, especially with Carina and the rest of his friends so close to the fray.

Hearing her lover's voice over their channel once again, Carina's eyes lit up and her hand immediately shot up to turn up the volume on the headset she was wearing, still nestled on her head and nearly camouflaged by her black hair. "Amaury we can-" She began to contest, but Amaury cut her off. "DON'T!" He replied as he looked back at her for a moment, allowing himself to be distracted and giving Tegan the advantage to knee the Jaeger in it's cockpit in retaliation.

Recoiling in his seat Amaury gasped and quickly returned his eyes to his foe as the Cerberus swung his blade towards the Jaeger's left arm, desperately trying to disable what he felt was the more lethal of the Demon's weapons. "Pay attention to me, not them!" He exclaimed as Amaury swung his heat hawk up to block the attack though his timing was slightly off, allowing the beam to slide down between the axe's head and his hand, cutting the blade from the handle and taking with it the large armor plate on Amaury's left shoulder as he shifted to avoid losing the whole arm. "Bastard!" The boy snarled as he again punched the Stein's head before boosting backwards away from both his friends and his foe, drawing Tegan to chase him at full speed as the soldiers at the city's entrance once again lost sight of them in the forming cityscape.

"Amaury!" Carina cried as she ran up to the edge of the barricade where the guardsmen stood waiting, trying her hardest to see through the metal frame forest between them. "Are you alright?!" She called as the boy winced in pain. By now both suits were beginning to degrade rapidly, as had his body. His head was pounding, blood continued to run from his nose and his arm and he could feel his vision becoming more distorted by the moment. "I-I'm fine. I'm-" He replied regardless of how he was feeling as he coughed violently, splattering drops of blood on the inside of his helmet and forcing him to pull the lower chin piece off as well as lift the visor into it's open-air configuration. "You don't sound fine! You need help!" She argued as he used his remaining vulcan gun to force Tegan to evade back and forth, slowing him only marginally and buying him enough time to speak without rushing the words from his mouth. "I-I have to do this alone, Carina. I can't let anyone else die." He replied as Carina bit her lip, holding back the tears that weighed down her eyes. Couldn't let anyone else die? What about him? Was it worth him dying for?! "A-Amaury…" She stuttered as he smiled, wiping the blood from his face and trying his best to generate a calming vibe, knowing she was likely feeling every bit of pain and anger he was experiencing. "It's almost over. Everything is going to be okay… I promise." He added, watching as Tegan spun his beam saber around in a threatening manner.

Backing away from the Cerberus as he rapidly closed the gap between them, Amaury couldn't help but wonder how much longer this could continue. Both of them had only one weapon remaining and while Amaury believed his claw was the best weapon for this fight, he was unsure how effective it would be blocking a beam saber, causing him to grunt in annoyance. He couldn't allow himself to be caught off guard again without something to quickly block himself, but at the same time he couldn't allow Tegan to change the tide of battle in his favor ethier. "What's wrong Amaury, are you scared?!" The madman asked as he boosted forward and swiped his blade to the side, slicing it through a building when Amaury slid back to avoid his reach; a snarl leaving his lips as he the reached out pierced the Stein's left torso with his claw's finger tips before Tegan could pull away safely.

Feeling the shift of balance, Amaury boosted forward into Tegan, ramming him with his Jegan shoulder and knocking the Stein back. "I told you before that I would show you scared," Amaury replied as he pressed his attack, rearing back his claw and swiping back and forth several times as Tegan feverishly dodged each. Annoyed by Tegan's easy evasion of his attacks Amaury picked up the pace, striking over and over again while simultaneously dodging the Cerberus' attacks. "AND I MEANT IT!" He exclaimed as blinded Tegan and landed a lucky hit with the tip of the claw's blade again, striking the stein's right eye and causing the machines right side to go dark as the backup sensors began to come online.

For this hit Tegan immediately repaid the Demon however and within a second he lashed out, bashing the Jaeger into the air with a boost-assisted swing if his damaged arm as he screamed in anger. "YOU FUCKING BRAT!" He exclaimed as he chased after Amaury and kicked the stunned boy into the ground, grinding him into the hard rock below as multiple warning began to alarm inside of his cockpit. Thinking quickly Amaury dodged another harsh attack as the Cerberus descended on him, rolling to the side as Tegan slammed his feet into the ground, cracking the stone below. He then grabbed ahold of a long semi-truck carrying shipping containers on its bed and swung the vehicle around into the Stein which, although it had cut the truck in half, was distracted long enough for Amaury to grab its waist and boost it into a nearby building, pinning it to the metal substructure.

"GUAH!" Tegan exclaimed as the sudden hit slammed him backwards in his seat and bashed his wounded ribs into the console to his side, once again causing blood to build up in his mouth as it made its way up his throat. He was sure now that he was injured internally and that he could not continue to drag out this fight; it needed to end sooner rather than later. Spitting the blood in his mouth out as he sensed his foe raising his claw to spear the Stein's cockpit, Tegan shifted to the left side as far as he could in the debris and waited for the Jaeger to lunge forward to launch its attack; the boy inside sensing what was coming but not fast enough to counter. Just as the Jaeger's eye shifted to look up at the Stein the machine opened fire on its foe's cockpit with its vulcans, targeting the areas along its hull that appeared discolored; areas that Tegan correctly guessed were hastily completed patch jobs that did not match the rest of the machine's upgraded armor.

Instantly the Jaeger's cockpit filled with sparks as the rounds tore through the metal panels hastily bolted on to the outside of the machine's shell and sealed to create a safe atmosphere inside, causing Amaury to take emergency actions to avoid being killed. Gasping, Amaury immediately shifted all thrust backwards from all forward facing thrusters and verniers, sending the machine hurdling unsteadily back down the street as pieces of his avionics and screens, as well as his communication's panel, showered him with glass and sparks as a piece of metal tore across his face from right to left, slicing across his right cheek and nose with and leaving a deep gash that caused him to cry out in anger and pain. "FUCK!" He exclaimed as he reached out and grabbed ahold of the buildings to his sides to slow himself to a complete stop, watching as Tegan again charged at him out of desperation.

Enraged, Amaury immediately reacted to Tegan's challenge and dashed forward to meet him, dodging the Cerberus' first swipe and ramming his left shoulder into the machine before backhand swiping his heat claws against his chest, tearing a small hole through Tegan's cockpit hatch and allowing the colony's dust air and artificial sunlight to permeate through. In retaliation the Cerberus kneed the Jaeger once more in the cockpit before punching it's head and knocking the machine back with his mauled arm. "Bleeding out yet, Amaury? Ready to give up? I know that attack hurt had to have hurt... that soft shell keeping you from me won't hold forever!" Tegan laughed as Amaury slid to a stop, growling under his breath in anger. "You'll have to drain all the blood from me before I give up!" The boy snarled in reply as Amaury charged forward again. "I can arrange that!"

Repeating the same attack he had just unleashed though this time with a psychic disruption and a loud roar of rage, Amaury again dodged Tegan's saber and slammed into him with his Jegan shoulder before trying to kill the man with his claw as Tegan smirked. Was he running out of moves, or was this truly the best option he had? Identifying the attack as the same as before Tegan countered in the same manner, pushing the machine back with his damaged arm, but unlike his previous move Amaury snagged the Stein's arm in his claw as he shifted back, pulling Tegan with him as he slid. "Ngg!" Tegan grunted as he watched Amaury's right fist fly over the top of their arms into his suit's head, causing further visual disruption across his already flickering screens.

"I don't think so!" The Cerberus exclaimed as he retaliated, swinging his beam saber into the Jaeger, forcing Amaury to react rashly and use his claw to snag the weapon's blade to hold it back as electricity arced into nearby buildings, electrifying the exposed metal beams around them. Relieved that his weapon was able to stop the saber's blade Amaury pulled his right arm back to strike, but Tegan had other plans and as the Jaeger's arm closed in on his cockpit the Cerberus reached over and disabled his blade's safety mechanism, boosting its power draw and causing the blade to double in width in the Jaeger's hand.

Shocked by the sudden and unexpected mover, Amaury withdrew his attack just as the Stein's saber tore both the ring and pinky finger from the claw and swung down into the Jager's left leg, severing the machine's left-most thrusters on both it's thigh and lower leg, as well as setting the machine on fire. Immediately alarms began to deafen the pilot inside the Jaeger as he shifted weight from his left leg to his right and reversed thrust backwards away from the encroaching enemy as he pushed his attack, forcing him to remain on the defensive as he frantically scrambled to strike back.

"Come on, COME ON!" Amaury growled as he dodged yet another of Tegan's attacks, trying his best to strike back with the now three-bladed claw the remained his only true offensive weapon while also trying to figure out a way to extinguish the fire spreading across and inside of the Jaeger's left leg. Between the loss of his full claw, the majority of his left side thrust and now the fire, Tegan was quickly taking the lead in their struggle for survival and pushing him closer towards the brink of defeat. He couldn't lose to Tegan, not again and certainly not here. The future of their people was in the balance, and he vowed to give it his all until he could no longer do so! He had to think of something to stop the fire in the Jaeger's leg from spreading or doing any more damage the could possibly cripple him, but what?

"Let's go boy, accept your fate!" Tegan taunted as Amaury gnashed his teeth together, the boy continuing to evade his foes attacks as the enemy pushed him further and further towards the far end of what had been constructed in District 3 so far. The tight confines of the growing city's business district were once his ally, pinning Tegan in and making him an easier target, but now with reduce suit control they only served as obstacles he continued to run into as he tried to maneuver the wounded Jaeger out of harm's reach. Sliding into a side alley and tearing down a newly framed structure to try and block Tegan's path, Amaury spun and used his back thrusters to fly out of the city and into the rock, undeveloped area further into the asteroid where the mining crews and contractors both excavated rocks and resources and put into place crucial city infrastructure points such as electrical lines, sewer systems and most important, water mains.

Spotting the large, exposed section of piping beneath what would be a major intersection in District 3's Deikun Avenue, Amaury cut his thrust and slammed down into the large spider web of metal pipes with all his might, breaking open not only the pipes below his feet, but across District 3 as a whole. All down the side streets the sudden and sharp backflow of water blasted hydrants and end-caps off of the pipes, instantly causing the majority of the district to suddenly become encase in an artificial rainfall powered by the massive water pumping stations further into Hagen's core. This wasn't the boy's intent, especially knowing how much work had been done to develop Hagen thus far, but it was essential to his survival and he was sure those who had built these utilities would understand.

Instantly the water from the mangled lines he stood in coated the Jaeger in a heavy rainfall, rolling down across and into the open, damaged voids across his suit, squelching the flames that threatened to consume his suit and allowing the boy a sigh of relief as his eyes raised back up to Tegan, who darted full speed towards him with what remained of the Stein in half-waverider mode. "Resourceful little shit, aren't you?!" He exclaimed as Amaury ignited his rear boosters and fly the only way he now could with any haste; forward.

Much to his dismay the damage done to the Jaeger was clear as the suits clashed once again in mid air, forcing the pilot inside to struggle to contend with the Stein as he pushed his machine past what it was capable of. "You're weak Amaury!" Tegan exclaimed as the boy's claw attempted to pierce the Stein's cockpit only to be knocked back and then rammed backwards towards the ground; it's damaged systems unable to recover in time to prevent the outdated machine from slamming into the rocky surface below and skidding on it's right side into a large pile of unprocessed rock at a high rate of speed, crushing both of the main thrusters on it's back against the mountain of stone.

Once again Amaury slammed around inside of his cockpit, striking his head off of the side console and splattering blood across the controls as the world grew blurry around him. "Ngg…" He grunted in pain as he tried desperately to focus forward at the screens around him, watching Tegan land a few hundred yards away from him with a vicious laugh. "And here lies the Green Demon, hero of the New Republic!" He cheered as Amaury tried to lift the Jaeger to its feet to no avail. The impact with the mound behind him had killed his primary source of thrust as well as damaged his reactor, which now warned of both a coolant leak and subsequent overheating in the suit's core. This coupled with his loss of almost all weapons had all but guaranteed that he would have to struggle to win, if victory was even still possible. Hope was fading, and with the loss of blood he had incurred so was his focus. As difficult as the thought seemed he had to get up. If he continued to lay there he was as good as dead, and so was the Republic. But as much as his desire to continue remained, the strength in his hands did not, and for some reason it seemed as if he was losing connection to the Jaeger. Weakly he tried to stand, only to have the machine stagger and shake in resistance to his commands. He had to get up!

Nearly half way across the city between the two struggling mobile suits and the blockaded terminal entrance a group of Republic scouts reached the top of one of the highest buildings still standing in the city. Sent out by Krupp the second Tegan and Amaury moved out of visible range, the group quickly darted to the edge of the building and slid to a stop against the metal half-wall before them, two of them using binoculars to zoom in on the mobile suits in the distance as another queued up his radio. "General Ishim, Admiral Krupp; forward observers have reached the top of Building 87, as instructed." He called, immediately prompting the Admiral to walk over to their own radio operator and take the headset in his hands.

"This is Admiral Krupp. Go ahead, what do you have?" The admiral replied, looking to Carina who watched his every mood with tears in her eyes as Tome held onto her arm to try and keep her calm. It had been several minutes now since Amaury's communications network stopped and it was clear that she wouldn't be able to handle much more. "We are acquiring a visual now, Admiral. It appears that the… t-the Jager is down!" The voice replied as Krupp's eyes widened. "What?!" He grunted, causing Carina to moved closer to the Admiral in horror as she tightened her grip on the boy's hoodie. Why was he yelling, what was wrong? It wasn't like the Admiral to be this worked up; something was wrong! "It's down sir, and the enemy is still standing!"

"What about the pilot? Is Lieutenant Dietrich still alive?! Answer me!" The Admiral questioned frantically as Carina's eyes widened, allowing the tears to stream down her face as her heart began to crack. Why was he asking them that?! Did something happen to Amaury?! "I'm not sure, sir. The machine is laying on its side up against a pile of rocks and the enemy suit is slowly walking towards it. It appears to be moving, but is unable to get up!" The voice added loudly, enough that Carina could hear due to her proximity alone. "A-Amaury… n-no..." She mumbled as her eyes shaikly observed the worry in his as well as in the air around them, causing her stomach to twist so tightly in a knot that it nearly caused her to throw up. This couldn't be happening; he couldn't lose! He promised her he would come back, and just like before she knew he meant it. He couldn't die like this. Not alone. She had to do something; anything!

Looking out towards the rising smoke from beyond the district's blocks, Carina ran without warning towards the barriers in front of her and climbed over before taking off running through the war torn streets of their new home, shocking all of those who remained behind. "Carina, wait!" Tome exclaimed as the Admiral stepped forward, a look of anguish and frustration on his face. "Major Hughes, stop! It's too dangerous!" He protested, watching as from his side Douglas now approached the barrier, though unlike Carina he was instantly grabbed by two of the guardsmen beside him.

"What are you doing- let me go!" The ex-pirate immediately began to scream, fighting the hold of the soldiers beside him as he looked back at the others as well as both Krupp and Ishim. "Are you really going to let her go out there alone?!" Douglas added as the two officers looked at one another and sighed. "He's right, let him go. Major Hughes can't be out there alone." The Admiral ordered as Douglas immediately broke free of the hands holding him, grabbed the rifle belonging to the man to his right and dove over the barrier, running as fast as he could after Carina who by now had already made it nearly a block and a half down the main rain-soaked streets.

In silence Krupp watched as the two disappeared behind debris in the distance, only turning away as Tome stepped up beside him with Douglas and Latty by her side. "We have to help Amaury, Admiral." Douglas stated as Latty nodded. "Even if he doesn't want it. He can be mad all he wants, but at least he'll be alive." She added though Tome shook her head. "Amaury doesn't want the help because he's fighting for glory. He doesn't want help because he doesn't anyone else to die… like Sam." The girl replied as she looked up to Ishim and Krupp, sick with worry. "We have to help him." She said as Krupp bit his lip in though before turning towards Ishim and then the radio operator, once more picking up the headset. "Send the guardsmen with them. Forward observation team on 87, are you still there?" He questioned, waiting only a brief moment before a reply was received back. "We are here Admiral, what are your orders?" The team questioned as Krupp narrowed his eyes on the distance smoke. "Do you still have your launchers?"

Taking time to enjoy his foes struggle to stand and his inability to defend himself, Tegan continued to mock his prey, walking slowly towards Amaury with his battered mobile suit while striking the blade of his saber into the rocks below him every few seconds to cast sparks in the air towards him. "I can't believe that after all of this, after all the trouble you have cause me, you are just going to lay there and let me kill you." He stated out loud, broadcasting the message over his suit's external speaker so that Amaury would hear it given the loss of the private connection between the two of them. "Pathetic. Truly pathetic, Amaury. Here, after everything we've been through together, I had you painted as my one true enemy; my nemesis. A foe that would fight me until the bitter end… but now look at you. The thought that you, a measly Spacenoid SCRUB was the one who stomped out my brother's light… it makes me sick!" He screamed, spraying the Jaeger with pieces of rock as he swiped the blade towards him, though the pilot inside didn't shutter.

"Y-Your brother… was a m-monster." Amaury silently muttered to himself, his words unheard by his foe as his bloodied eyes watched the Stein's approach. He had tried several times to stand the Jaeger back up on its feet and continue the fight, but the machine would not budge. He was beaten; the Jaeger had been damaged well past any point it had been before, and with Tegan's suit still functional and retaining the ability to fly, he could do nothing but wait for the end. "C-Carina…" He whispered as his mind began to trail off far away from the bloodied field he laid in, focusing on the woman who had made his life worth living. The color of her hair and her warm, perfect skin, the green eyes he had found himself trapped inside so many times, her soothing voice; he was letting her down by failing, breaking his promise. He wouldn't be coming back this time and he could hope that someone else would be able to finish the job and save everyone from the monster before him. "I'm sorry…" Amaury continued as his heavy eyes slowly closed to conserve his strength and prepare for the end, though as he did so he was suddenly overcome by a presence he had not felt in some time.

" _You can do this, Amaury."_ His father's voice suddenly called to him, instantly causing him to open his eyes as he felt what he could only describe as a warm weight that swept across his entire body. "Dad?" He questioned as the voice laughed in a light tone. " _Yes, it's me."_ Armin replied to his son as Amaury looked down to the floor beside him, his blood running down from him and across the metal now littered with debris. "I… I can't. M-My suit-" He began to contest, but Armin stopped him. " _Your suit… this combination of steel and technology lovingly crafted and maintained for you by your dear Carina. It has not failed you... you just have to believe."_ His father countered as Amaury grunted, feeling Tegan's feet shake the ground as he came closer by the second.

"But how? H-How can I defeat him? Tell m-me and I will do it! Tell me!" Amaury exclaimed before coughing violently, feeling his father form a compassionate grin. " _Because you are my son, and I believe in you. Carina believes in you. They all do."_ Armin replied as Amaury's eyes grew heavy with tears of frustration at his impending failure, but no sooner did they form did he feel something else; slowly his hands began to push the once immobile throttle forward as if his father was lending him the strength needed to defeat his foes. "D-Dad, I-" He whispered quietly as his father again stopped him. " _You can do it Amaury. Just a little bit more."_

A few steps from his foe's immobile suit, Tegan stared down at his rival with an almost bloodthirsty grin. He had dreamed of this day for far too long and despite his preconceived notions that this battle would be the epic end to his life's story, he was more than ready to finish the man who had taken everything from him. "Well Amaury, it has truly been real." He stated as he lifted the beam saber in his hand up and began to take the final steps needed to close the distance. Even if he could not carry on to wipe out the rest of the New Republic this boy's death would be enough to claim victory, and with this final strike he would avenge his brother, Admiral Cousland and every other loyal son and daughter of Earth the Zeonic maniac had slaughter without so much as a care over the past year. "Rot in hell you-" He yelled, ceasing his words mid cry as the Stein's early warning system as well as his senses suddenly alerted him to a pair of missiles heading his direction from the inner city.

"What?!" He exclaimed as the two projectiles rocketed towards him from the rooftop of a highrise, forcing him to break his focus away from Amaury to deal with the incoming threat. "You bastards!" He exclaimed as he shot attempted to shoot down the incoming missiles with his vulcan guns with what remained of his ammunition, though as the debris cloud disappeared and two more warheads appeared on the horizon, Tegan snarled. "YOUR NEXT!" He exclaimed on his loudspeaker as he swung around, disintegrated the first missile and prepared for the second, catching Amaury's eye as he did so.

If he was going to try to kill Tegan one more time, now was his chance. "D-Dad…" He muttered again as the throttle slowly began to increase, prompting him to once more try and stand the machine to its feet. Was his father right? Could he really do this? Grunting in pain the boy spotted something he could use as a weapon in the pile of rock beside him; a massive, mobile suit wielded mining axe likely being used by one of the loaner Ratniks to help hollow out Hagen's core. Shakily he reached out for it with his machine, his controls hesitant at first though they slowly began to cooperate as whatever lapse in control he had been experiencing began to fade. "C-Come on, Jaeger…" He growled as his right hand closed around the large handle of the massive luna-titanium reinforced tool. If he was going to finish Tegan it had to be quick, as he could feel the heat from the reactor he sat on steadily increasing, causing him to sweat. "J-Just… a little more!" He exclaimed as he cast his eye back to the Stein and with it his hate, instantly causing Tegan to turn back to look at the machine as the last missile disappeared into his beam saber blade.

"No!" The Cerberus exclaimed as Amaury's hands pressed his throttle to the maximum, igniting the few thrusters that remained across the back of his machine with a mighty roar that raised the Jager back to its feet and straight into a fighting position. In response Tegan spun around to face the demon though he was not fast enough to prevent the Jager from cleeving into his machine's left arm, tearing it from his body as well as severely damaging what was left of the machine's rear thrusters with a horrific metal on metal screech that echoed across all of the third district. "NO!" Tegan once more cried out as next the Jaeger's mangled claw gripped the weakened structure of his cockpit door and tore it from the suit, forcing Tegan to strike back though the Jaeger quickly countered with his axe; the Gundam-grade armor it was constructed of deflecting Tegan's saber despite its overcharge, and holding him at bay as the boy inside gnashed his teeth together in rage.

"TEGAN!" He screamed loud enough for the Cerberus to hear through the holes in their cockpits as he struggled to keep the Jaeger's ace from raising his saber and arm above his head, leaving him totally exposed. To counter this Amaury gripped the axe with both hands, tipping the tide of their power struggle against the Cerberus who became more desperate and nervous by the second. "FUCK YOU, DEMON!" He exclaimed as he looked down at the machine's torso with the Stein's head in an attempt to fire his vulcan guns into it's exposed torso, only to remember too late that he had exhausted his ammunition supply. Frustrated and on the verge of a complete upset of a loss, Tegan thought of the only thing he could do and made his move without realizing that Amaury had blinded his senses in his rage, allowing the Demon to not only sense what was coming but formulate the perfect, game-ending retaliation.

As he had predicted, Tegan cut the power to his saber and boosted backwards with his forward-facing verniers just enough to clear the Jaeger's swing before instantly dashing forward towards the demon and attempting to press the now deactivated saber to his cockpit door. "IT'S OVER"! He cried out as his blade began to power on, but just before the hot field of Minovsky particles tore into his machine, Amaury slid to the side in Hagen's mud, dodging the blow and rearing his claw back for one final strike as Tegan's eyes grew wide.

In slow motion Tegan watched as Amaury's claw swung up into his suit just above the cockpit, tearing into its armored flesh like a hot knife through butter. "NO!" The pilot inside cried out as the three remaining blades dug into the Stein's powerplant on their course upward before exiting through the top of its torso, sending the Zeta head flying towards the city where it slammed into the ground and rolled full speed into a building. Headless, blind and losing power quickly from his now failing reactor, the Cerberus stumbled forward and swung his machine's saber towards the Jaeger in one last attempt to strike his foe using nothing but his senses, slicing partially through its left leg as he fell to the ground below with a loud, ground-shattering bang and lost all power. "AMAURY!" He screamed to himself as he frantically tried to turn over the machine's reactor to resume power flow in vein, causing him to kick the pedals at his feet repeatedly in rage. How could he allow this rat to defeat him once again?! Why couldn't he kill him?!

Watching the Stein lifelessly collapse to the ground as he felt his father's spirit leaving him Amaury remained locked to Tegan, waiting until he was sure he had won before allowing the Jaeger to fall to its knees. "We did it." He stated outloud between pants and the palpations of his racing heart, looking to the screens around him which each showed the damage dealt to him over the course of the battle as well as Tegan's last blow, which damaged the hydraulic lines in his left leg and ensured that the Jaeger could no longer support its own weight. But it didn't matter. He was able to keep fighting long enough to disable Tegan's mobile suit, ensuring that he would no longer be a threat to his home or the ones he loved. He was victorious.

With a sigh of relief, Amaury sat back in his seat and closed his eyes for a moment before the Jaeger's alarm system began to go haywire; the reactor behind him had burned through all remaining coolant and was beginning to melt down, causing him to grunt in annoyance. The worst thing the could happen right now would be for either the Jaeger's or the Stein's core to melt down completely and detonate inside of New Hagen causing catastrophic damage, and while he could not control Tegan's actions, he was not going allow that damage to come from the Jaeger. "S-Shit." He mumbled as he reached over to deactivate his SICOS and begin powering down the machine, but just before he was about to place his hands on the neurological disconnect his eyes shifted behind him at the sound of sparks and smell of burning metal; the wall behind him had began to smoke as wires and plastic components heated up and through the vents flames were visible. The entire machine was on fire and much to his dismay the water line he had burst minutes before how now stopped, leaving him no chance to try and extinguish the flames. He had to go, right now!

In a rush to escape a fiery death, Amaury unbuckled himself from the seat and pressed the large emergency shutdown button to his side to lock the reactor down into as safe state before standing up and stumbling forward towards the cockpit door. The world around him was blurry and nauseating, but he couldn't stop to catch his bearings. The Jaeger may have been upgraded and retrofitted to the best of Carina's abilities but it was still an old machine at heart and as such lacked the fire retardation and suppression systems of the newer mobile suit designs, meaning it would burn fast and with little to stop it. Pulling the door release as he coughed from the mounting smoke, Amaury looked back as the fire now began to spread from the wall to his seat and with the the SICOS port, which he now realized he had not deactivated. "Fu-!" He grunted as he held his breath and attempted to reach forward for the device's controller to disable it, only to be immediately blown back out of the Jaeger's cockpit as the fire reached and consumed the reserve oxygen tanks mounted just behind the cockpit's back wall causing them to explode, throwing Amaury off of the open cockpit door with enough force to pull the SICOS cable from his neck. With a loud scream Amaury's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he blacked out and began to free fall towards the ground below in a spin.

However as he fell another voice called out to the boy. Unlike his father this voice was one that he was not familiar with, but the tone of the man's voice and the command of his words were enough to snap the boy from the short-lived coma caused by his disconnection. "Wake up, Amaury." The man's voice demanded, snapping the boy's eyes open as he neared the ground, causing him to gasp with fear. Doing the only thing he could to slow the fall Amaury reached out and grabbed ahold of an exposed anchor point on the Jager's leg, jerking his body back wards and forcing him to release his hand from the pain, though the action was enough to slow his descent down enough to prevent major bodily harm as he impacted the muddy ground below.

"G-Guah!" He exclaimed as he landed on his right side, causing him to curl up into a fetal position from the pain and grasp the already injured arm he landed on before looking up at the burning mobile suit as pieces of metal and burning debris fell down from above. Begrudgingly he pulled the remainder of the SICOS cable from his neck and stood to his feet to move away from the machine's shadow in the thickening mud, carefully navigating the terrain and making his way to a small uprising in the ground near a smoldering piece of the Jaeger's armor. He could still feel Tegan's presence and it was clear that he had survived yet again, but in his condition he could not fight him. Moving as quickly as his injured body could, Amaury climbed to the top of the mound of raised rock and looked out towards District 3; it's smoking, damaged skyline visible in the distance. The battle had taken them nearly a mile away from where they had began and while he dreaded the thought of having to make his way all the way back, the sound of Tegan angrily calling out his name as he exited the Stein's dilapidated cockpit made him aware that he had no choice.

"DEMON!" The Cerberus screamed as he crawled his way through the smashed and torn metal of his once might machine, picking himself out of the mud as he looked around frantically for his foe. He had once again lost in open combat with the boy in mobile suits, but once again Amaury had failed to end his life, leaving him another chance to steal the boy's right out from underneath him. "THIS ISN'T OVER YET, RAT!" He exclaimed as he zeroed in on the boy's direction, drew his pistol from it's holster and stormed off after him, slamming his cybernetic hand into the side of the Stein's mutilated hull as he did so. If he made it back to civilization, to his friends, it was over. He had to end this now.

Stumbling forward, Amaury began to jog towards the city before tripping on his artificial leg and falling to the mud below. He was exhausted and dizzy, enough to make him nearly vomit as he coughed violently into his arm as watched behind him for any sign of Tegan, who he could tell was getting closer. If he was going to survive he couldn't run; he would need to attack and finish what he was sent to do. Lifting himself up once again, the task itself becoming harder and harder by the minute, Amaury looked around for a place to hide before spotting what remained of the Stein's severed arm. Tegan was likely tracking him through his senses, so if he could lead him somewhere and then disappear, he could possibly get the upper hand. It was the only way, and wasting no time he hastily made his way towards the wreckage just as Tegan made his way over the top of the hill and spotted him.

"AMAURY!" He cried out as he lifted his handgun up and fired on the boy, missing twice as the boy lowered his head and ran as fast as he could towards the Stein's arm, making sure not to trip in the process. Reaching the debris the boy was nearly struck in the head as he slide underneath the machine's profile to the other side, disappearing from the Cerberus who angrily fired his weapon at the metal wall between them. "You can't hide from me Amaury, not anymore, I can sense you! The joys of being a Newtype!" He exclaimed as he fired the last round in his magazine and instinctively changed it out for a fresh one with his left hand, just as he neared the arm. He could sense his foe in that area, but somehow he could not feel exactly where, though it didn't matter. He may have defeated him in a mobile suit, but he was still bred and trained to be a superior soldiers, and he was sure he could handle someone like Amaury. "I said you can't hide! Get out here and face me!" He taunted as he followed Amaury's tracks and prepared to crouch under the piece the boy slid through, though before he could do so he suddenly felt the boy's presence re-appear above him as he jumped down from above.

In reaction Tegan lifted his weapon and fired a shot into the arm as Amaury came down on top of him, tackling him into the mud and causing him to throw his gun to the side as the two slid away from one another. Drawing his knife from it's spot on his body armor, Amaury charged Tegan and swiped at the Cerberus, who sensed the attack and dodged before kicking him in the stomach and causing him to fly back, leaving the Cerberus with only moderate pain in his injured ribs. Standing tall with a hand to his injured side, Tegan watched as his foe came to a stop on one knee and looked up at him, his helmet now removed to reveal the brown eyes hidden behind equally dark hair that only partially covered his bloodied face. "So this is the Green Demon of the New Republic?" He questioned as Amaury coughed and attempted to stand to his feet despite being clearly beaten up from their fight though he managed, preparing to fight in defiance and held his knife upside down. "Y-You wanted to fight me… let's go!" The boy huffed, causing Tegan to smirk.

Even if the boy wasn't a soldier he could tell from the way he held his knife that he had been at least somewhat trained on how to use it, reinforcing his belief that the he had been some sort of criminal or thug in a previous life. His eye then coasted down to the boy's artificial left leg, which he immediately could tell was a result of their sight for the fate of Side 3, when he chopped the boy's own heat hawk into his cockpit. He did not appear to have any other kind of critical injury that he could tell, so it would only make sense that this was what had nearly cost him his life that day. "That leg. Is that from the Battle of Side 3?" He questioned as he subconsciously squeezed his own prosthetic, to which the boy only gnashed his teeth harder, confirming this as well. "You got off lucky that day. If your friends wouldn't have recovered you so quickly you wouldn't have survived." The Cerberus added. "They won't save you this time."

Instantly Tegan dashed forward as he drew his own knife from its spot on his belt, colliding blades with the boy as he parried him away and stabbed at the Cerberus' stomach, only to be backhanded across the face. Staggering backwards Amaury predicted and evaded Tegan's thrust by a mere inch before slashing back, catching the man across his cheek and causing him to dodge as he did so. In retaliation however Tegan kneed him in the stomach and grabbed his hair as he recoiled, swinging him around and throwing him into the metal debris in front of them as the boy cried out in pain and slid to his knees. "I fenced for seven years as a child. It was regarded as a gentleman's sport… something you would know nothing about." The Cerberus taunted as Amaury looked to him over his shoulder and tried his best to cast his blinding effect on the man before standing and charging him again, though Tegan again smirked.

"It's a little different with a knife as opposed to a foil, but it's the same concept." He remarked, dodging the boy's feverish strikes before striking himself, slashing the boy across the back through his vest before receiving a large laceration of his own across his stomach as the boy back-hand swung in response, pissing him off and causing him to grapple the boy from behind. "COME HERE!" He exclaimed as he held the boy with his metal arm around his neck and prepared to stab him in his chest, though Amaury swung his own blade around and underneath his right arm, stabbing the Cerberus in the stomach as he did so, causing him to release him as he cried out in pain. "Y-YOU-!" He exclaimed as his foe began to make distance between them, quickly kicking Amaury's prosthetic leg in rage with such force that the metal structure bent and caused the boy to buckle.

Losing balance and flying straight into the mud as the result of Tegan's attack Amaury slid to a stop and immediately looked down to his leg; the metal prosthetic he had used to navigate around as best he could these past few months was now bent at such an angle that there was no way he would be able to stand again on it. He had to end this now. Instinctively and with no other option Amaury reached down to his right thigh and quickly began to draw his holstered weapon, though unfortunately for him his actions were not concealed to his foe who, in quick response, drew another firearm he had been hiding inside of his waistband and shot the boy in his side; the bullet piercing through a soft spot between the composite plates in his vest, entering the left side of his chest as Amaury's handgun flew from his hands and past the Cerberus into the mud behind him.

Instantly dealt a crippling if not mortal blow that knocked the air from his lungs, Amaury's body tensed up, his head flew back in the mud and from his mouth came as loud a scream as he could possibly muster, forcing a wide, pain stricken smile to form on Tegan's lips. "You f-fucking fool!" He grunted, holding the still-smoking pistol in one hand as the other held pressure on his wound while watching the boy struggle to do the same; his blood beginning to slowly pool around him in the muddied earth of his newfound homeland. Slowly he walked towards Amaury with the gun trained on his head, ensuring that the boy would not make any more slick moves to further delay his judgment. "This… this is what you get. This is the fate of every single man, woman and child who believes in the murderous, treasonous, psychopathic ideals of Zeon and his henchmen." He continued as the boy below struggled to keep his bloodied eyes on him.

Within seconds Tegan stood over his prey, pointing his weapon straight down at him as Amaury took in every thought of violence against him that came to mind, as if he could think of nothing else. Looking to his bloodied hand he again laughed before looking out at the two burning mobile suits in the distance with his back to the city, indulging in his victory. "Well Amaury, was it all worth it? Was all of the bloodshed and violence worth building up your precious empire, only to watch it fall?" He questioned as he Amaury struggled to take a deep breath. His body was broken and he was completely at the mercy of his merciless foe. His death was surely a matter of moments away.

"I-It… It was." The boy replied the best he could through clenched teeth, his eyes tracking the wavering barrel in the Cerberus' hands as the world began to lose its color. "B-Before all of this, I… I was nothing. I-I w-was a criminal… a c-colony rat, j-j-just like you said. B-But The Movement… it gave me p-purpose. A r-reason to live." He added, cringing in gut wrenching pain as the burning in his chest increased. "A reason to live? A purpose? What reason would that have been, hmm? To murder and kill those around you in the name of some almost forgotten, antiquated ideology?" The Cerberus questioned with judgemental, narrowing eyes, to which Amaury shook his head. "N-No…"

Coughing violently as his vision grew blurrier by the second the boy struggled to keep himself propped up, though he couldn't help but continue. "If I-I would h-ave never s-signed up for… this, I w-would still be alone… I-I would have never had f-friends, or a h-home… still living on the streets… t-the g-gutter..." He continued as thought back on everyone he had met over the past year, recalling their faces, voices and their smiles as one formed across his own; his mind once more shifting towards thoughts of Carina as tears formed in his eyes. "I-I would h-have never met… C-Carina… the one p-person who made m-me feel… loved." He explained as he laid his head back, suffering through another round of intense pain as Tegan continued to stare at him for a moment. That was it? He killed, slaughtered innocent men and women, and for what? Friendship? Love? That was what he deemed most important to him?

"Friends. A home. Love. Don't you get it? Those things were never meant to be within your reach. The second you crossed that line and betrayed your protectors you forfeited the right to live a normal life. People like you… killers of men… you don't have a home. You don't deserve to live, or breath, with what you've done." Tegan replied as a tinge of anger slowly overcame his joyous victory, causing Amaury's eyes to return to him from the other side of the district above him. "None of you do." He continued, looking away as the memory of those who had lost returned to his mind, causing him to grind his teeth together in anger. Who were they to challenge what reality had been set forth for them? Their world was the result of the paths their ancestors decided for them, and they were to live in it as penance for their sins. "Y-Your wrong, T-Tegan…" The boy spoke out, causing the Cerberus' eyes to return to him as he did so. Even at the end and after being told he was wrong he was still willing to resist the truth? Was he that stupid?

Taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes and collected his thoughts, Tegan centered his sights back on the boy's head and stared him down once more. The fact of the matter was that he had won and although he had lost his suit in the process, he would do everything in his power to dismantle the New Republic before his death, ensuring they would never again challenge Earth, even if that meant throwing himself into this asteroid's reactor to destroy it. "I think our time together has come to an end, Amaury." He stated as he stepped forward and pressed his boot on the boy's wound, causing him to cry out in pain as he did so. "If it's any consolation I'm going to make sure your friends follow you to the dark, lightless abyss I am about to send you to. One way or another I will ensure that your people never again return to Earth and that no other acts of rebellion never come to light in fear of facing the same fate." He taunted, pushing down harder on the boy as his grin slowly returned. "But, before I do…" Tegan continued as he leaned forward towards the boy. "I'm going to find this 'Carina' who I've constantly heard you carry on about, and I'm going to make sure she suffers in the same way you've made me suffer. She will be the first to die, but I assure you it will not be quick, nor painless!" He snarled through his teeth as Amaury's eyes opened wide.

"NO!" He growled out in rage as a massive surge in his psychic presence swept through the area, instantly causing the Cerberus to wince and grunt in pain as he did so, though his eyes widened in response. That surge came from him, not the machine. Had it really been him doing this the whole time, and not some sort of fancy device rigged to his ancient suit? With a laugh Tegan stood back up in preparation to shoot the boy, not wanting to be sprayed by his blood as the bullet tore through his skull. "I get it now. Your some kind of super-Newtype freak… that's how you've been able to blind me through our last two battles, and how you've matched my skill all along." He stated as the boy let go of his wound and gripped the Cerberus' boot in anger, trying desperately to pull him off of himself as he did so. "But it doesn't matter. Nothing will save you, your friends, or this fucking rock. It's all going to burn!" He exclaimed as he aimed his weapon one final time as the boy below cried out. "TEGAN!"

From the scream came two gunshots, though they were not Tegan's, causing the man to step back as a sudden force struck his metallic arm as well as his chest. In shock, he looked down at the boy below who continued to stare up at him before noticing the blood running from an exit wound in his right clavicle. "H-Huh?" He groaned as he spun around towards the city to see where he had been shot from and immediately laid eyes on the girl who's life he had threatened no more than a few seconds ago; her trembling hands holding Amaury's smoking, mud-covered pistol as she aimed down it's sights at him. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" She demanded, recalling the last time she held a gun to someone to save her love as Tegan's face shifted from surprise and disbelief to anger. He more than likely hadn't sensed her presence because of the Demon's psychic surge, but it didn't change anything. Nobody was going to stop his vengeance, especially some girl!

Stuck in tunnel vision from his injuries and still blinded by both rage and Amaury's presence, Tegan lifted his weapon up towards Carina. "You… BITCH!" He snarled as he began to pull the trigger, though just before a round was fired the Cerberus himself was targeted by both Douglas and the approaching band of National Guardsmen who opened fire, striking him multiple times over and over again, tearing flesh from bone. His heart stopping, Tegan stared at the group as he fell to his knees by Amaury's side; his mouth open to speak though no amount of air remained in his now shredded lungs, and within a second he fell forward into the mud as his soul released out into space. Tegan the Cerberus, the man who haunted them since the very beginning of their journey, was dead.

Standing still as gunsmoke billowed from the six guns that had just fired, Carina shifted her eyes from Tegan's lifeless corpse to Amaury, who's weak, blood-stained eyes immediately locked to her in the aftermath of what had just occurred, trying desperately to call her name. "A-Amaury!" She shrieked as she dropped his weapon back into the mud and dashed to his side opposite of Tegan, immediately pulling her love into her chest and out of the pool of dirt and blood he was laying in. She then reached down, unhooked the velcro holding his body armor in place and removed it from his chest, exposing the bullet wound in his side with a horrified quiver. "H-Hold on babe, help is coming." She whispered, pulling him a little closer and wrapping her arms around him as she placed both hands over his wound, though her eyes now shifted to the torn flesh across his face. He was so badly beaten and covered in blood that she wondered just how he was able to keep fighting this long, though she was just grateful he was still alive.

"Admiral Krupp we've got them. I've got one down and another in need of immediate medical assistance, send the convoy. Yes sir, Lieutenant Dietrich has survived." One of the Guardsmen called back to their leader as Amaury slowly looked up to Carina with bloodied tears in his eyes. "C-Carina…" He whispered as Carina shook her head and bit her lip, unable to contain her own tears which now freely ran down her face and dripped onto his. "D-Don't speak Amaury, conserve your energy. Please just hold on. You need to stay here with me, okay?" She disputed, though as she did the boy reached up with his left hand, using the little strength he still had to gently wipe the tears from her cheek. "I-I'm n-not… going a-anywhere." He replied, causing her to smile and reach up to take his hand in hers. "Y-You better not." She hummed, looking up to Douglas as he approached the two and looked down at the Cerberus before flipping him onto his back while holding the rifle at the ready, though immediately it was clear that Tegan was dead. Watching, Amaury shifted his red eyes up to Douglas. "I-Is h-he…" He questioned as Douglas lowered his rifle to a relaxed position at his side and nodded. "He's dead. We finally got him." He replied with a accomplished sigh and a content grin as in the distance the sound of sirens became clear as a convoy of military vehicles as well as fire engines rushed towards them.

Within moments the convoy split as the vehicles belonging to the National Guard diverted to the scene of the two pilot's final fight while the fire apparatus' continued on towards the Jaeger and the Stein, both of which now burned bright in the distance. "Well. I guess that's the end of the Blitz I leant you, huh?" Douglas questioned the boy who slowly grinned in reply as he rested his head against Carina's chest, trying to stay awake though the further his adrenaline wore down the harder it became, causing his eyes to close and his mind to drift as he clung to consciousness. "Stay awake babe, come on. The ambulance just pulled up. Please!" She pleaded as calmly as she possibly good, watching as one of the Guard's APCs pulled up and opened its doors, allowing three man carrying a stretcher to disembark.

"C-Carina?" He questioned as she motioned for them to hurry, immediately drawing her eyes back down to him in a panic. "What? What is it?" She questioned frantically as his brown orbs darted back and forth between the sea of green looking down at him. "C… C-Can we… get married… now?" He asked, instantly causing her eyes to widen at the unexpected nature of his question. Was that really what he was thinking about as he lay dying in her arms? "A-Amaury…" She replied, her face darkening as she bit her lip. "Of course."

Hearing her reply Amaury smiled and closed his eyes before nuzzling his head against her chest lovingly. "I l-love you, my C-Carina." He said softly as Carina held him close and rested her head against his. "I love you too, my Amaury." She whispered, watching as the team of medics reached their side and began to unfold the stretcher to take Amaury into their care. "Now hush." She added as the two looked out at the burning Jaeger as the fire fighters began to bring the roaring inferno under control. She was certain that she wouldn't be able to bring the machine back from this one no matter how good she believed she was, though as she looked back to Amaury she knew that he could accept the Jaeger's fate now that Tegan was gone. The war between Earth and the New Republic was now over, ushering in a new era of what they all truly believed would be a long lasting peace between the two. With a quiet sigh, Carina carefully leaned down and kissed Amaury's forehead as the medics began to take him from her. "It's over."


	50. Chapter 50: Beyond

Looking down at the Cerberus' half frozen corpse, Dorian Wright sighed a deep breath of relief. It took nearly two weeks for them to make it out to the New Republic, a week too late to help fight off Tegan's assault, and he was just thankful that they arrived to something more than debris floating in space. They would have been there a lot sooner had it not been for Margaret's insistence that they prepare to fight Tegan on their own incase he was to have come out of the conflict victorious, gathering not only the most advanced mobile suits they could find but the best pilots available as well in preparation for one last showdown with the Cerberus, though in the long run he too knew it was the right move. Walking into what could have easily been a trap with no way to fight back would have proven disastrous. "So he's finally dead." He stated out loud as he looked up to Admiral Krupp and the young colonel beside him, then to Margaret who remained uncomfortable despite knowing that the man who had caused her such pain and disgrace was gone.

"It would seem so. As powerful as he was, there is no coming back from this." Krupp replied, locking his hands together behind his back as he took a deep breath. "I do apologize for the condition of the body. Had we known you would be coming to pick him up we would not have attempted to put him long-term storage." He added as Geoff grinned. "And we would have cleaned up a little better too, though if you think that this is bad, you should see what he did inside of Hagen. We were making good progress laying out the city center, but that all went to shit pretty fast when he showed up." The man stated as Dorian turned towards them.

"Well it doesn't seem like you will be behind schedule for long. You've got a pretty dedicated and passionate workforce carving that rock out. I'm sure you'll be emigrating to it in no time." The counselor added. They had expected a massacre, a graveyard of radioactive debris and lifeless bodies, but what they found was a society in the earliest stages of recovery and an economic growth that was further bolstered by the arrival of much needed supplies from Earth's first convoy; itself believed to have been lost to the Cerberus enroute to the New Republic. "I still wish it wouldn't have gone this far. Tegan was quite the skilled and resourceful opponent, but I feel responsible for his escape from Earth, as well as the damage done to New Hagen. If we would have been able to keep him on the ground-"

"There is nothing more you could have done, Counselor. Like you said, Tegan was not only skilled, but quite resourceful as well, and this combined with his charisma and relentless nature meant that he would have made his way here one way or another." Geoff interjected, cutting Dorian off as Margaret sighed and finally turned away from Tegan, her arms crossed. "Well it doesn't matter. It happened and it's over. Maybe now we can put this whole thing behind us." The woman said to which Dorian nodded. "I agree. Hopefully this will finally be the start of a truly peaceful and prosperous coexistence between the Earth, her colonies and the Republic of Zeon, putting to rest all of the hatred of the last thirty years."

Looking to Geoff, Admiral Krupp nodded. "The Earth Federation and the Republic of Zeon have long had their differences; differences that have driven us to war countless times since the first day of man's colonization of the stars. Those conflicts have resulted in harsh, deep seated scars that will never truly heal… to many our recent uprising has done nothing more than revive those scars. But I can ensure you that I have no intention of allowing the peace between the Republic of Zeon and Earth to falter ever again." He added, bringing Counselor Wright to grin. "I am truly happy to hear that Premier and I can say with absolute certainty that I plan to do the same. Our people have each been through enough, and I think it is about time we truly do everything possible to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

"Speaking of which…" Dorian then stated as he motioned to one of the aides he had brought with him who stood off to the side, instructing him to come closer. Knowing what was being asked of him the man did as instructed and approached, pulling out a series of large envelopes nearly bursting at the seams with papers and handing them towards Krupp. "This is the formal peace treaty, as well some further trade and immigration agreements. I figured I would bring it with us, just incase the New Republic was left standing. In hindsight it's a good thing I did, or we would be making yet another long trip back out here." He continued as the admiral nodded and turned, handing the documents to General Ishim as he approached to receive them. "This is excellent, Counselor. If you are willing to stay a while we can head to the office and take care of all of this now. It will take some time for the dock workers to refill your vessel." Krupp then questioned to which Dorian nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me. The crew can handle the rest of the business here on their own, including putting our friend here back in storage aboard the _Horizon_." Wright replied, placing his hand on the translucent storage box holding Tegan's body.

With his arms crossed Geoff watched the counselor's motions and tilted his head a bit to the side in curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you plan to do with the body?" He asked as Margaret looked back to Tegan for a moment before returning her eyes to Geoff. "We will take it with us but it won't come back to Earth. We will destroy it and spread the remains out into space. Most of those who knew of the situation believed Tegan drowned in Cordova's Harbor, and it is best that it stays that way." The woman explained as Geoff again nodded. "Yeah, that's probably the best choice. I'm sure there are still supporters of the late Cerberus lingering around and the last thing you want is them making him out to be any more of the martyr the believe him to be."

"That is the last thing we want, Colonel. As you suspected there are likely those who supported Tegan living amongst the population as refugees. It is best if it stays that way." Dorian agreed as he now looked to Tegan's corpse and tilted his head. "You know, you never did say who finally took him down, only that he was defeated by your men." He stated as Krupp lifted his head up a bit. "It wasn't just one person, really. Lieutenant Dietrich brought his suit down and then proceeded to fight him on foot before a group of our guardsmen as well as Major Hughes and Petty Officer Kriets arrived and ultimately shot the man to death, as you can see." He explained as Dorian watched the Cerberus' painless, lifeless face; his shredded, broken body matching the tale. "The men stationed at Cordova when he escaped said that he managed to take off with quite a powerful, irregular mobile suit. How did the boy make out fighting him? We saw what remained of his suit in the docks... did he survive?" He asked, looking between the three men in front of him before focusing on Geoff as Krupp motioned for him to explain.

"The two of them fought tooth and nail to kill one another, literally fighting until their suits gave out and then taking to fight to one another on foot. He won, but was torn up pretty good during the fight. Tegan even shot him in the side. If it hadn't been for the group that killed Tegan, he wouldn't be with us right now." He explained as both Dorian and Margaret listened intently. "Where is he now?" She questioned.

"He's at home recovering under Carina's care, or at least that is what he is supposed to be doing. It's what he _better_ be doing. The doctors wanted him to stay at the hospital until he had recovered further, but he insisted that he wanted to be at home." Geoff replied as the two Federal emissaries looked to one another. After a moment of silence Dorian nodded and turned back to the admiral. "Premier, do you think that we could possibly stop by to see them? I have something for them as well and I would prefer to give it to them in person, especially after everything they've been through." He questioned as Krupp's eyes widened. He was aware of what he may have for the two of them, but he was partially surprised to find he felt the need to deliver it in person. "If that is you want, then of course. I will need to check to make sure the two of them are up for visitors first, if that is alright. Geoff-" Krupp replied, looking to his colonel who was already typing on his phone. "Already on it."

Reading Geoff's text message a few minutes after her phone originally rang, Tome's eyes widened, catching Carina's attention as the girl continued to wash dishes to her right. "Is everything alright? Don't tell me something else is happening." She questioned as Tome looked to her and shook her head, answering the message swiftly before sliding the phone in her pocket and resuming her task of putting away what food remained from their dinner. With her due date rapidly approaching Tome had been spending much of her time in the company of others just in case she should go into labor, although Carina didn't mind. With Amaury still in rough shape it was nice to have an extra hand around.

"No, everything's okay. Just Geoff checking on Amaury, that's all." She replied in a bit of a white lie, not wanting to work them up with the knowledge that another ship had arrived from outside of their own little world, even if they were friendly. The news that there was no news brought a small smile to Carina's face as she placed the last bowl on the drying rack and moved on to the largest pot used to cook their dinner. "Well that's good." She stated before turning around to face Amaury as he sat up on the couch, having just spent the past few minutes since dinner laying down to rest. "Do you need help?" He asked as his lover grinned and shook her head. "No babe, we've got it. You just need to lay down and rest: Doctor Emerson's orders!" She replied, to which Amaury nodded and slowly laid back down on the couch with a silent grunt of pain, returning his attention to the television in the room.

Looking back to Tome the girl sighed contently under her breath. "Thank you again for helping me these last few days, Tome. It's really made the difference." Carina said quietly so that Amaury couldn't hear her. She knew he viewed himself as more of a burden than anything else right now and that he would much rather be helping them as opposed to watching some sort of local reality television show, but she knew he shouldn't be on his feet. It had only been a little over a week since he was nearly killed, and although he was back on his feet with the help of a new prosthetic limb that mimicked his last, he was far from recovered. The bullet that shot into his side had nearly pierced his lung, leaving a serious wound that would take time to heal and his body was covered in bruises and stitches, including the large gash that crossed over his face. Atop of this both of his eyes still showed a pink tinge from the dual subconjunctival hemorrhages he sustained and he once more seemed to have contracted an infection that held him under the weather.

Watching Amaury as well, Tome nodded and smiled before closing the containers in front of her and moving them individually to the refrigerator. "Don't mention it, yo. I don't mind helping." She replied as Carina smiled and continued cleaning the pot. Setting it down on the drying rack as well, she washed and dried her hands before heading into the living room with Tome. "Well, how was dinner?" Tome questioned the boy laying on the couch as she sat down on the opposite side of the room from him. "It was good. Don't get too comfortable cooking with Carina though, I'll be back on my feet in no time." He replied with a nod and a sarcastic grin as Tome scoffed. "Yeah, no. Don't get your hopes up." She mocked, causing Carina to giggle. "She's right babe. There will be plenty more meals to cook." She added, sitting down on the edge of the couch near his torso.

Gently she reached over his injured side and placed the back of her right hand on his forehead, feeling the warmth of his skin. "How are you feeling?" She asked as Amaury shrugged. "I'm alright, just really tired. And sore." He replied. "They have you on some pretty strong pain killers for the time being, so you are going to feel that way. I'm surprised you are even awake." Carina responded, running her hand through his hair before kissing his lips gently. "You will feel better soon. I promise."

"He better feel better soon, you are supposed to get married in two weeks!" Tome added as she carefully lifted her legs up onto the couch and folded them underneath her. Following everything that had happened the two had decided to go forward with their marriage, and as they were not planning to have an extravagant wedding in the first place and given the fact that everyone who was going to be invited was already present there was little reason not to have it sooner than later. "He will be ready by then, I know it. To be honest I'm more concerned whether or not I will be. I haven't found a venue to host the ceremony or the reception, let alone had time to buy a dress." Carina replied as Tome tilted her head. "Why didn't you say something sooner? My father knows all sorts of places around the colonies to host events… mostly benefits and board meetings to schmooze over clients, but I'm sure one of them would love to host the wedding of two of the New Republic's heroes!"

Hearing Tome both Carina and Amaury's eyes returned to her in surprise. "Really?" The boy asked as Tome nodded. "Yeah, I'll text him right now! I can't believe you didn't you tell me this until right now." She hummed as she pulled out her phone and began to do as she said. "That would be great Tome, really, really great. Once I know where we are having it, I can write all of the invitations and hand them out. It's going to be short notice so I need to get on it." Carina replied, once again peaking Tome's interest.

"Oh, I can help with that as well! And for your dress, did you plan on going military style or something more traditional? What about you, Amaury?" She questioned as Carina shrugged. "Well, we talked about it, and Amaury is going to wear his dress uniform. I on the other hand am going with a dress… I've always dreamed it would be that way. But don't worry, I have something special to represent the New Republic, thanks to Admiral Krupp." She replied with a smile as Tome clapped her hands together. "Alright, well it is decided then! We will go tomorrow!" She exclaimed as Carina looked to Amaury and shook her head. "I'm glad you are excited to help Tome, but I don't think I should leave Amaury alone." The girl contested though immediately Tome did the same. "What?! Come on, Amaury will be fine for an hour or two! Look, he's enjoying this TV show so much I bet he will just sit here and watch it all day!"

"Actually I'm not sure what it is we are watching, but I'm not a big fan." Amaury chimed in, forcing Tome to point at him as his drowsy eyes shifted to meet hers. "Hey, hey! Quiet! Come on Carina, I promise I will have you home before noon! I'm sure he will stay out of trouble." She continued to argue as Carina sighed and looked to Amaury. "What do you think?" She asked as Amaury smiled. "She's right babe. I will be alright. Besides… I can't see you in your dress until the wedding. You will need to take Tome regardless." He stated as Tome snapped her fingers and pointed at him with a wink. "There we go, it's settled! Tomorrow morning, you and me; shooooooopping!" She laughed, causing the two others to do the same though Amaury stopped halfway through and grabbed at his wounded side. "Stop Tome, your killing me." He grunted as his pained laugh slowly tapered off, leaving Carina shaking her head as Tome continued. "Imagine that, Tegan couldn't kill you but I can. You are ridiculous."

Finishing her head shake Carina looked towards Amaury and took his hand in hers, gently rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. "It's feels so unreal, doesn't it? Like it was only a week ago that we were sitting on that roof in Heaven's End. Before then I would have never thought I would be getting married… but now, with everything we've been through, with how you make me feel, I couldn't ever imagine anything but this." She said softly with blushing cheeks as Amaury smiled. "I feel the same, my Carina." He replied, gently squeezing her hand. He would be lying if he wasn't fully ready to commit his entire life to her and every day that passed he found those feelings growing stronger. "I'm ready for this." Amaury added, prompting Carina to smile and lean forward, carefully kissing him again. "So am I."

In silence Tome watched their embrace before all three shifted their attention towards the front door as a knock pierced the silence in the room. "Well that was fast." She blurted out as she quickly unfolded her legs and jumped up onto her feet, walking towards the door as the two lovers across from her watch in confusion. "Were you expecting someone?" Carina questioned as Tome grinned, reaching out for the door's lock in the process. "I mean, we all were. I just didn't say anything." She replied as she stood on her toes to look through the apartment door's peephole, spotting Geoff's face looking back almost immediately. "Geoff told me not to tell you, but a ship from Earth arrived a while ago. Pierce and that counselor came to make sure that Tegan hadn't destroyed the New Republic." She stated as she turned the latch and unlocked the door, stepping back to allow Geoff to open it, revealing himself, Admiral Krupp and both Margaret Pierce and Dorian Wright.

"Annnd, now they are here."

"Admiral, Geoff. We didn't know you were going to stop by, especially not with guests from Earth." Carina stated in surprise while standing up as they walked into the apartment, Amaury trying to do the same with a grunt as Geoff shook his head. "To be fair I didn't expect to be here either." He replied, motioning for Amaury to take it easy as Margaret shut the door behind them. "That is completely our fault Major, I'm sorry. Once we heard what happened I thought it was important to check up on our hero here." Dorian stated as he stood next to Admiral Krupp, looking over the boy's wounded body. He was covered in bruises and bandages from his fae down to his fingertips and he could see that he was having a hard time moving, struggling to finally come to a sitting position on the couch.

"No, it's fine Counselor, I just simply did not expect it. If I would have known you were all coming I would have cleaned up, maybe made something special to snack on like one of my grandmother's pies. We might have even been able to make it down to the docks to save you the trouble of coming all the way here." Carina explained as Geoff smirked. "And that is exactly why I asked Tome not to say anything. You have enough to worry about between Amaury's recovery, the fleet's repairs and most importantly your approaching wedding." He added as Carina half-smiled and nodded in partial understanding, watching rom the corner of her eye as Dorian approached the two of them. "How are you holding up?" He asked as the boy lifted himself up onto his elbows. "I'm alright, now at least." He replied as Dorian smirked. "Can't keep you down, can they?" He replied while motioning for Carina to sit back down beside Amaury and waiting until she did before asking if he could sit in turn.

"Of course." She replied, sliding down next to Amaury and helping support him in a sitting position as Dorian sat. "Well Lieutenant it seems you finally did it. You defeated the mad Cerberus and secured what we all hope will be a long lasting peace, both for the New Republic as well as the Earth Federation." He began with a grin as the young pilot shook his head. "I only shot him down. It was Carina, Douglas and the soldiers who killed him." The humble boy replied, causing Dorian to grin as he did so. "That is what I hear, and I will make sure to thank them all equally as well before I go. Major?" He stated, looking to Carina who shook her head now as well. "Don't thank me, Counselor. I wasn't doing it for anyone other than Amaury… I wasn't going to let Tegan take him away from me. And please, call me Carina." She replied, looking to Amaury as he smiled.

Hearing her words the Counselor smiled. "I understand that and I find that be one of the most heroic things I have ever heard. You set off to help him on foot, knowing that his enemy may very well have still been in a functional mobile suit. You, Lieutenant Kreits and the others could have been killed, but you continued anyway, and because of that Tegan can no longer plague our world with his hatred fueled delusions. It is for that reason that I have no regret in allowing such a strong, intelligent young woman like yourself to have this." Dorian continued as he reached into his jacket and pulled from it yet another large brown envelope before promptly handing it to Carina, who looked down at it in confusion. "Oh, er… what is it?" She questioned out loud with a blush as Dorian laughed. "Well I'm not going to tell you, you have to open it."

Still not entirely sure of what the man was handing her, Carina looked to Amaury who motioned for her to do as the Dorian said, which she then did with little delay. Carefully she slid her finger under the envelope sealed flap and opened it, pulling out the documents inside and setting them on her lap, though as she began to read her eyes widened and a silence came over her. "What is it babe?" Amaury questioned as Tome, who had returned to her own seated position across the room, leaned forward the best she could in anticipation. "Yeah come on Carina, don't keep us waiting! What is it?!"

"I-It's…" Carina stuttered as she swallowed, her hands nearly trembling as she did so. "It's a letter… an invitation from the dean of Von Braun's Engineering Institute… it says that under suggestion from Counselor Dorian Wright of the Earth Federation's Council, h-he is delighted to extend an open invitation for me to return to V-Von Braun to finish my doctorate in mechanical engineering." She said, looking up to Wright with wide eyes. "T-This… how? I know that a man in your position has quite the political pull, but with everything we've done, with or acts against Earth… how did you get them to agree to this?" She questioned as Dorian grinned and lifted his chin up as if to show off. "Well it just so happens that the dean of the Institute is an old buddy of mine from my early navy days. The VBEI shares a close connection to Anaheim Electronics, and after I mentioned how I had met the mechanical genius who designed the high performance versions of the antiquated mobile suits used in the uprising and that you had been a former student turned freedom fighter in light of the issues plaguing our world, he was more than happy to work out some way for you to return." Dorian stated with a grin as he looked over his shoulder at Margaret, who watched the girl's reaction with a slight yet content smile.

"The offer is good for quite some time, so if you are interested all you need to do is let me know when and we will get things all set up. Sound good?" The counselor questioned as the stunned, teary eyed girl looked to her lover for his input. "Amaury?" She asked to which the boy smiled and gently nodded, as if he would be anything but supporting of her dreams. "Of course." He replied as Carina's lips formed into a wide, red-cheeked smile. "Y-Yes, absolutely! " She replied as Dorian smiled, though his attention turned to Amaury as the boy opened his mouth to speak. "What about her family? Will she be able to see them?" He asked as Carina's eyes locked to him and then back to Wright in curiosity. She had forgotten that being able to see her parents again was part of their deal in the first place, but now the prospect of it had her heart racing inside of her chest.

Without hesitation Dorian's grin grew. "Of course! That was part of our deal, wasn't it? Carina will be allowed to not only contact her family, but to see them once again. My only request is that you avoid traveling to Earth for the time being and instead have them come to the moon. This is just a precaution as I don't want to risk some zealot targeting you or Amaury. Is that alright?" He questioned, but Carina didn't even care to hear the restrictions he mentioned as her mind and heart became suddenly overloaded with happiness. She would be allowed to finish the degree she worked so hard for _and_ see her mother, father and brothers again? Was she dreaming; could this be real? All of their hopes for the future were coming true.

"Carina?" Amaury questioned after a moment with a hint of concern as the girl turned to look at him; her confused, blank stare quickly turning to a wide grin as tears of joy streamed down her face. "Y-Yes, I understand. I-I…" She stuttered, trying to think of what she should say before deciding not to say anything. Instead the girl leaned forward and threw her arms around the man's neck in a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!" She exclaimed with a high pitched, almost cracking squeal, causing Geoff and the Admiral to laugh as the others looked on in amusement, including Captain Pierce.

Embracing the hug the flustered Counselor grinned, clearing his throat as the woman sat back down beside her soon to be husband and grabbed his hand excitedly. "Well I wasn't expecting that. But you are more than welcome. Consider it an early wedding gift." He stated as the others laughed before turning his attention to Amaury. "What about you Amaury, will you be joining us on Von Braun? Obviously you are welcome to come along as well." The counselor stated as Amaury grinned. "Anywhere Carina goes, I will too." The boy replied as Dorian laughed under his breath and nodded. He wasn't the least bit surprised that he answered like this, though he appreciated his dedication.

"But what will you do there while Carina is at class? I don't particularly take you as the kind of guy who sits around doing nothing. Your fellow republicans will be setting up the first New Republic of Zeon embassy in the Earth's Sphere right in Von Braun City soon and I'm sure they wouldn't mind a hand." He continued, looking back to the Admiral and Geoff. "Premier Krupp also mentioned that you and Carina have opted to move out into what is planned to be agricultural districts. Farming is quite the noble, peaceful profession; would you have any interest in taking some agriculture classes while you are with us? Von Braun is at the top when it comes to the newest, most effective space-based farming methods." He asked as Amaury tilted his head a bit to the side. He hadn't anticipated undergoing any kind of schooling while he was there and was planning to spend most of his time supporting Carina and doing whatever he could to lighten her load, especially since he never finished high school. Did the counselor know this, or did it not matter? "I will think about it, Counselor." The boy stated as Dorian smiled and slowly nodded.

Standing back up to his feet, Dorian placed both of his hands in his coat pocket before contently sighing. "Well, we have taken up enough of your time for one night. We just figured we would come make sure you were all in one piece with our own eyes." He stated as Carina's attention returned to the counselor. "No it's okay Counselor. You, Captain Pierce, Admiral Krupp and of course Geoff are welcome to stay as long as you want." She contested though the man smiled and shook his head. "That is very kind of you, but we will be setting out for Earth as soon as we are finished refueling and resupplying for the journey home, and with some final documentation for the peace treaty needing to be attended to we really should be on our way. I will however take you up on that pie offer when we meet on Von Braun." He added, causing Carina to smile as she sheepishly nodded in reply. "Of course."

With that Dorian turned and motioned to Margaret as the woman looked to the two young lovers on the couch with a small grin. "Good luck with everything. Fighting a war is one thing, but marriage is something else completely." She added in a playful yet stern manner before following behind her leader back out into the apartment building's main hallway and shortly after by their Republic hosts who closed the apartment door behind them on their way out, leaving the three young men and women in a brief silence that broke as Tome spun to Carina with a loud squeal. "Carina!" She exclaimed in excitement as the girl grinned from ear to ear, holding the papers in her hands close to her chest. "I know. I know! This is amazing, I..." She replied, looking back down at the invitation before turning to the equally excited boy beside her. Without him none of this would be possible and she wouldn't ever return to Von Braun or see her family again.

With lingering tears Carina bit her lip and set the papers in her hand down on the coffee table before reaching forward and gently wrapping her arms around Amaury's neck. She had never been as happy as she was in this moment when everything she had ever dreamed seemed so real, forcing her to think back over everything they had been through. From Operation Duality to the Liberation, their journey to Earth and now finally in their promised land; he had kept every promise he had ever made to her, all the way back to his first promise to keep her safe before they even left Dresden for the first time. "My Amaury… thank you. For everything." She whispered softly in his ear as his arms carefully wrapped around her lower back, pulling her tightly into him in a loving embrace. "Don't thank me, my Carina. Everything I've done, I've done for you." He whispered in reply as she giggled softly and let go of his neck, sliding her arms down his into she reached his hands at which point she calmly stared into his eyes.

"I love you my Amaury, more than anything in the whole world." She said, softly squeezing his hands as he smiled back. "I love you too my Carina. You are my world." He added, causing her to blush as she leaned forward and kissed his lips lovingly several times as Tome silently covered her eyes. "Alright, alright you two! Save it for the wedding day!" The girl exclaimed as Caring giggled, pulling her lips from Amaury's and pressing her forehead to his. "A day that can't come fast enough." She whispered as the boy smiled and nodded without breaking the deep connections now established between their eyes. The day they had been dreaming about for so long was now so close they could almost hear their wedding bells ringing; a sound that drowned out all the gunfire and explosions they had endured to get here by far. "I guess she's right… she didn't come here for dinner _and_ a show." Amaury replied with a grin as Tome stuck her tongue out in disgust, causing Carina to giggle once more. "Yeah, I guess." She replied, though a moment later she playfully pushed Amaury on his back and again began to kiss him as Tome shrieked. "WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SAY?!"

Two weeks passed quickly and before anyone knew it the small group of invited wedding guests found themselves gathered at a small church in one of Dresden's more high-class districts, waiting silently to watch the marriage of their two close friends. The wedding party was not extraordinarily large nor was the ceremony expected to be excessively lavish, but everyone Carina and Amaury cared about were in attendance, and that was all that mattered. In a stern, eyes-forward pose Admiral Krupp stood at the end of the aisle at the altar, watching from the corner of his eye as the nervous husband-to-be tried to remain calm with a grin. He remembered feeling just as nervous on his own wedding day, though at that point in time neither he nor his wife had ever been through anything quite like these two had been, making him wonder what the boy could possibly be nervous about.

"A little nervous, are we?" He asked out loud, his voice drowned out by the idle conversations taking place in the crowd, though Amaury could hear him and turned his head towards the man with a small nod. "Yeah, a little." He replied as Krupp smirked. "Well relax. Everything is going to go as planned, so really you are worked up over nothing. Besides, once Carina sees you in that uniform, I'm sure she will be far more flustered than you. You are quite the dapper-looking young man, and that uniform suits you well." The Admiral responded as Amaury laugh nervously and looked down at himself. He was one of the first soldiers of the New Republic to be issued their newest Class-A uniform in preparation for this day, and while it surely was a great improvement over the designs of old in his eyes, he was still unsure what Carina would think; especially since there was still large bandage running across his face. "Thank you Admiral, but that's not what I'm worried about. Though I have to ask… is it always going to be so uncomfortable?"

Hearing his comment Krupp immediately laughed under his breath and shook his head. "No, not always. It gets better. This is why I told you to wash it first." He replied as the boy shook his head as well and looked out to the closed church doors in expectation before running his eyes briefly through the small crowd, focusing on the front row filled with their friends, all of which were in attendance, including Tome who, despite the fact that she had yet to give birth to the twins, was able to find the fanciest dress she could fit into for the occasion. "I'm just worried I won't be able to be the man Carina needs me to be." Amaury added while watching as Marcus gave him a thumbs up, drawing Krupp's attention once again. "What do you mean?" He asked as the boy looked back to him.

"I know Carina loves me, I really do, I just… the whole time she has known me I have been a pilot; a soldier. Now that the war is over, what will I do? I have no education, no practical skills…" He began to reply, looking down at his artificial leg with a small frown. With a fake limb it would be difficult for him to find normal work under a stressful environment, how would he provide for her and the children they dreamed of? "I feel like I am going to be useless… a burden." Amaury added as Krupp stared at him from a moment before taking a deep breath to resist the urge to slap some sense into the boy.

"Amaury, she doesn't care about your education or your skillset, and she hasn't stayed with you through all of this just to decide now she can't live with you outside of your suit. She's a smart girl, she knows what she's getting into, and if she had even the slightest doubt this wasn't the right decision, she wouldn't be going through with this. She loves you more than I think even you understand." He retorted, watching as the boy's eyes perked up a bit at his words. What Krupp was saying was not only right, it was the truth. Carina couldn't ever view him as a burden, even if he truly was, and he was foolish to believe so. "You are right, Admiral. I guess I really don't have anything to worry about." Amaury replied with a small grin as Krupp smirked. "Of course I'm right. That's why they put me in charge. At least for the time being." He laughed, turning his attention back to the main doors to the church as they slowly opened and the audio system began to play the most traditional of wedding songs, indicating it was time for the wedding to begin.

Once again the nervous flutter in Amaury's chest returned as from the nearly blinding light outside of the church emerged Geoff, whose uniform was almost identical to Amaury's save for their ranking insignia, and Carina, holding onto the Colonel's arm as they calmly moved down the aisle towards them. "There she is Amaury. My god does she look just stunning." Krupp whispered to the wide eyed boy as he stared at his fiancee in pure infatuation. According to the traditions of old he hadn't seen Carina in her wedding dress until this very moment, but the wait was worth it. It was just as elegant as he imagined it would be, but when combined with her long flowing black hair that ran down her back, he couldn't help but open his mouth in wonder, causing the girl to take notice as she felt the emotion welling up inside of him. She too was in awe at his handsome appearance and the thrill of the moment, and couldn't contain herself from blushing darker by the second.

After what seemed like an eternity the two found themselves standing directly before the Admiral and Amaury, at which point Krupp motioned to Geoff who promptly nodded and turned to his star pilot and friend. "She's quite a special woman, Amaury. You better take care of her." He stated as Amaury grinned. "I will, don't worry." He stated back, waiting until Geoff had let go of Carina's hands to take them in his own as Geoff returned to his seat and Carina moved into place across from him on Krupp's other side. Now that she was close he could see that her bangs had been tied around her head into a braid atop the rest of her hair, and that around her neck she wore a gold necklace bearing the New Republic of Zeon's insignia, which he assumed was the gift from Admiral Krupp she had spoke of several times before. "You look absolutely beautiful." Amaury stated as he stared into Carina's deep green eyes, causing her to blush deeper and giggle nervously behind her hand. "Thank you. And you look so very, very handsome." She replied just as the music stopped and the Admiral took a deep breath in preparation for the speech he had prepared for this exact occasion.

"Friends, brothers in arms… family. Today we have gathered to officiate the love between two of our very close friends, Major Carina Hughes and Lieutenant Amaury Dietrich: a relationship I know many of you have watched flourish and grow from its very beginning, and one that I have seen develop into what must be one of the best examples of true love and compassion I have ever seen." He began as the two lovers stared into one another's eyes with a mix of anxiety and excitement that filled the air. "I can recall meeting both of these fine youngsters little over a year ago. Carina is one of the brightest minds that may have ever graced Side 3 and truly stuck out from the rest, not because of her intellect but because of her desire to help others despite having no connection to Side 3 whatsoever. This desire to help was what also brought Amaury to our aid as well, and I should have known this mutual desire between the two of them would lead to something more than friendship, especially after watching how the two of them stared at one another the very first time the met. Kind of how they are right now." He teased, causing everyone in the room to laugh including the bride and groom, both of which knew exactly what he was speaking of.

Thinking back on that moment in the training room of The Movement's headquarters Amaury never would have imagined their life would play out like this. Over time he had come to understand that the feelings he denied having for her in the beginning were very real in that moment, but never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined he would end up falling in love with that bright eyed girl he met that day, let alone become her husband. "I love you." He whispered quietly as Krupp spoke over them, telling the crowd a story about love and commitment as Carina smiled wider. "I love you too." She replied, gingerly rubbing her thumbs over the back of his hands as she did so. She hadn't thought that the ambitious, awkward yet cute boy she met that night would be the one she would fall for either, but she couldn't be more blessed that it was Amaury she would fall head over heels for. There was not a doubt in her mind that this man loved her more than the stars in the sky all around them, and knowing that there was nothing that would ever change that only furthered her commitment to him.

Listening to Krupp talk while simultaneously watched her two friends ogle each other, Tome subconsciously developed a content smile as her hands cradled her enlarged stomach. Seeing how happy her two closest friends were made her think back over the journey as well. All of the suffering and the pain, the hardship and death… it all seemed to be slowly fading as their future unfolded before them. The war was over, the New Republic was free, Carina and Amaury were getting married and soon she would have her two little bundles of joy to hold and care for; something she knew would be her own little bit of recovery, helping her to overcome the feelings of loneliness and loss she still harbored inside. Sam had been gone for some time now, but there wasn't a single day that had gone by she didn't think about him in some way, shape or form. Their time together was short, but it was time she would never forget.

Looking down the aisle to her left at Latty, Marcus, Naomi and Douglas, her smile only grew. If it hadn't been for the help of her friends she would had never been able to survive through this alone, and she was eternally grateful. Looking to her right her smile landed on Geoff who, upon noticing her gaze, gently nudged her arm with his elbow in a friendly manner, causing her smile to grow as they all laughed at another's of Krupp's jokes, though as he laughed died off the girl was suddenly overcome with a strange feeling that caused her to grunt under her breath.

Hearing the slight noise the girl emitted, Latty immediately shifted her attention from the boisterous man at the head of the altar to Tome, whose hands nervously rubbed her stomach. "Everything alright?" She questioned, causing Tome to look at her for a moment before darting her eyes back up to Amaury and Carina, who were preparing to finally take their vows. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She replied despite the fact that she could feel something slowly running down her leg, causing a look of discomfort to form on her face. She had been waiting for the twins for days now and the short wedding ceremony was almost over. Was this really happening right now?

Seeing Tome's face as she bit her lip served as a clear indicator of what was happening to Latty, whose eyes widened at the sudden realization that Tome was going into labor. "Tome, did… did your water just break?" She whispered as Tome's eyes grew wide as well and her head shook back and forth. "What? No. Ssh. They are almost done. I'm fine. Everything is good." Tome rapidly replied while returning her eyes to the altar, leading the Latty to look at her in concern. Was she really going to wait until the ceremony was over? Granted her water did just break and the hospital was not far from the church, but wasn't she the slightest bit concerned?

"Well, I think that it is time. As requested by the bride and groom this ceremony was intended to be rather short, and I do believe we have heard enough of this old man talking about the days of yore." The Admiral joked, looking down at the two before him with a smile. "Are you ready?" He questioned them and as both Amaury and Carina nodded, he began. "Bear with me, it has been quite some time since I conducted a wedding, and even then it was only a few." He stated, pulling from his pocket a pair of a reading glasses as well as a small notebook, causing a few more laughs as he flipped to the corresponding page and cleared his throat. "We will start with you, Lieutenant. Do you have the rings?" Krupp added as Amaury pulled the two wedding bands they had purchased and handed Carina his with a nervous smile, watching as tears already began to form in her eyes.

"Do you, Amaury Dietrich, take this woman to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?" The Admiral asked as he looked to Amaury who smiled wide. "I do." He replied, placing Carina's ring on her finger and prompting Krupp to look to her next. "And do you, Major Hughes, take this man to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?" He questioned, to which Carina, who bit her lip to hide back the flood of emotion coming over her, nodded. "Yes. Absolutely." The girl answered as she in turn placed Amaury's hand on his ring finger, causing Admiral Krupp to close the book in his hands as a wide grin formed over his lips. "Then it is settled. By the power vested in me by the New Republic of Zeon, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." He stated, and not a moment later the two leaned forward and kissed each other for the first time as husband and wife.

Instantly the crowd inside of the small church began to applaud and whistle, including Marcus who called out Amaury's name loudly though the two didn't flinch, holding their kiss for a moment or two before pulling away; each with a large, blush-ridden smile that expressed just how happy there were. "I present to all, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Dietrich." Krupp announced as the two turned to face their friends before moving down the aisle towards the end of the church hand in hand. Waving and laughing, Amaury waited until they had made it out of the church's doors before picking Carina up in his arms as is tradition, kissing her once more as he spun her around; an act that surprised the woman given his leg and lingering injuries, but one that also drove her heart wild as the wind whipped through her hair, causing her to laugh wildly. "We did it Amaury! We're married!" She exclaimed between giggles as the boy's swing slowly came to a stop and he rested his forehead to hers. "We did. Finally, you and me… we are a family. I love you so much." He replied, pressing their lips together again as the others began to flood forth from the church to congratulate them.

Inside of the church however, Tome spun around to Latty and slapped her hands together, causing the others to look at her as well. "Yeah my water did break, soooo." She stated, instantly causing both men behind Latty to gasp in surprise. "What?!" Douglas exclaimed as Geoff placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look at him. "Are you serious? Why didn't you say something earlier?" He questioned as Tome shrugged and motioned her head towards the now empty altar. "It was their day and I didn't want to ruin it. Plus, it was almost over when it happened." She replied as Geoff shook his head and sighed. "Do you really think they would be mad?" He asked, to which sheepishly shook her head, causing him to sigh. "Well, let's get going then." The colonel added, motioning for her and the others to follow before heading for the back exit of the Church in an attempt to avoid the crowd forming at the door.

Still shaking hands and hugging their friends at the entrance of the church, Carina and Amaury watched as Admiral Krupp emerged from the crowd and pulled them both into a hug. "Well, how does it feel? Any different yet?" He questioned with a chuckle as Carina giggled. "If I have to be honest, yes. Thank you so very, very much Admiral. These past few weeks have just been so amazing, especially today." She replied as Amaury nodded. "Yes, thank you sir. This was perfect." The boy added as the admiral grinned. "Oh there is no need for that. No need! Just keep in mind my name when that first baby comes around." He replied in a joking manner as both laughed, though from the corner of her eye Carina saw something rather peculiar; Tome being escorted in a hurry towards Geoff's SUV, which had been conveniently parked on the corner of the street nearest the church's entrance. "Hey! What's going on?" She called out as Amaury, the Admiral and several others turned to see who she was yelling at just as Tome was getting in the back seat, leaving Geoff to stop as he opened his own door. "Tome's water broke. It's always something. You coming? She will understand if not."

In shock Amaury spun towards his wife who, much to his surprise, had already grabbed his hand and began to pull them towards their own car through the crowd of guests. "Of course we are!" She yelled back as she looked to Amaury, though he immediately knew what she was going to ask. "Yeah, let's go. Did you bring all of our bags? I packed them last night, just incase." He replied with a grin as she nodded. "Yep, they are still there!" She replied as she reached her own door and attempted to sit down, only to get stuck. She hadn't worn her dress to the church that morning and had changed into it only right before the ceremony, so this type of struggle had not happened before. "Guah! Babe, help!" She exclaimed with a giggle as Amaury ran to her side of the car and freed her dress before cautiously tucking her in, shutting the door with a laugh of his own and returning to the passenger's seat to head off to the hospital.

A little over six hours later the group sat in Tome's hospital room, impatiently waiting for her to return after undergoing an emergency c-section to assist in the birth of the twins; a possibility Tome had been preparing for since very early on in her pregnancy. From what they had been told the surgery had gone as planned and that both Tome and the twins were doing fine, but many in the group of tight-knit friends were unable to relax until they saw it with their own eyes. "What is taking them so long?" Marcus questioned out loud as he looked around the rather crowded hospital room at the others, all of which had either changed from their wedding attire or made themselves as comfortable as possible. "They are just running some tests, Marcus. Her father said everything went well and that they will be here soon." Geoff replied, looking to the man as he sat on a long bench with Latty by his side while Douglas silently watched the nighttime streets below through the window.

"He's right Marcus, everything is fine. They just want to make sure our mama and the twins are healthy, that's all." Latty added as Marcus reluctantly sighed and nodded his head. "I guess you are right. I just hate sitting here, waiting." He replied as Geoff agreed, though he knew that talking about it wasn't going to make time go by any faster. Instead, he looked to the newlyweds sitting hand in hand next to one other on the other side of the room. Having been prepared, Carina and Amaury had both changed out of their wedding attire into a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt, with the former wearing her husband's hoodie like she often did. "I guess you didn't expect this to happen on your wedding day, huh? Going right from the ceremony to the hospital for six hours?" He questioned as the two looked up to him and then back to one another.

"It's not that bad. I'm honestly more relieved than anything else, really. The twins are here and both they and their mother are alright, that is all that mattered. Though, I must admit, I sure am glad we were able to at least finish the ceremony." The woman replied as Amaury nodded. "I agree. The reception and everything else can wait. Tome is more important than drinking and playing around." He added, causing Marcus to scoff. "Speak for yourself! Tome is important, but drinking and fucking off? That's like a passtime to me!" He exclaimed as Douglas looked to him, then to Carina as she sighed. "Do you remember the last time you were drinking and fucking off? I believe it was right before we left Dresden for the first time. What was the name of that place, the Launch?" She questioned, causing Marcus to cross his arms and huff.

"How many times are you going to bring that up? Yeah, we got into a fight, but we did it to help you. Infact, if I wouldn't have pushed Amaury to do something about those two Federation fuck-boys, you two probably wouldn't be married right now!" He replied, lighting up Latty's face in both confusion and curiosity as Geoff raised a brow in suspicion. "Wait, the brawl at The Launch? That was you guys?" He asked as Marcus nodded and Amaury lowered his head with a heavy sigh, preparing to hear the story of that night for what had to have been the thirteenth time. "It sure was; all my idea too. Carina was waiting for shithead Monty so long that these two Federation soldiers tried to pick her up, and they weren't taking no for an answer. So I, knowing that Amaury was head over heels for her, pressured Amaury into going over to help her. One thing led to another, Amaury got thrown out of a window and before we knew it me, Amaury and Sam were in a fist fight in the middle of the street. It wasn't nothing we couldn't handle though, you can't keep the Marcster down." Marcus boasted, trying to impress Latty as Geoff's eyes narrowed on him further.

"Marcus, that fight almost exposed The Movement. If they would have found out about us they would have arrested us and hung us for treason. What the hell were you thinking?!" The colonel scolded as Marcus' eye grew wide. "Well, I mean, It wasn't entirely-" He began to explain as Amaury grinned. "Oh no, it was _entirely_ his idea. You heard him, without him I wouldn't be with Carina." He fired back jokingly as Marcus motioned for him to stop talking as Geoff again opened his mouth to scold the two of them, only to freeze as the hospital room door opened and from the hallway came Tome, her two twins in hand and her father by her side as the nursing staff wheeled her bed in and placed it where it belonged.

Staring at her and the two cooing babies in her hands, everyone in the room remained silent until the nursing staff gave her a verbal set of instructions before leaving the room, at which time Geoff grinned. "There they are. We've been waiting a long time." He stated as he took a few steps towards the teary eyed mother gently nodded, looking down at the two bundles of joy in her arms. "Yes we have, and it was well worth the wait. They are both so perfect." She replied, smiling wide as the little girl in her left arm took a large yawn and looked around the room while her brother slept softly. They had both inherited their father's blonde hair albeit it was clear that it was their mother's curly strands that would plague them for life, and even though their eyes would likely change color, both shared the same deep blue colored eyes as Sam, reminding their mother of the boy she had loved.

Slowly to avoid spooking the baby who was awake, Carina stood up from her seat and walked towards the bed with Amaury closely behind, waiting until Tome motioned for her to sit before doing so right beside her. "Oh my god, look at them. They really are perfect." The girl stated as she smiled wide and reached forward to gently brush the little girl's hair, who upon seeing the fingers approaching her reached up and tried to grab them. "Go ahead, that's aunt Carina. And the big grump next to her is uncle Amaury. All of your uncles and aunts are here." Tome urged, looking to the others and focusing on Douglas as Carina allowed the little one to take her finger in hers, causing Carina's heart to immediately melt at the soft, warm touch of the babies hand. Instantly she looked back to Amaury who placed his hand on his wife's back and smiled, feeling the same happiness the babies had brought on simply by existing. "Have you thought about their names?" He asked as Tome looked to the sleeping baby boy, then to her father who placed his hand on her right shoulder and nodded.

"This is Samuel." She stated as if it didn't even need to be said and without any need for an explanation before turning to the little girl still holding onto Carina's fingers. "And this is Elei." Tome added as Carina tilted her head a bit to the side. "After your mother?" She asked, to which Tome nodded. "Yes. I felt it was only fitting… not a day goes by that I don't think about either of them... but now with Samuel and Elei in my arms I feel like I'm close to them once again." She replied with a small hint of embarrassment though Carina shook her head to shake those feelings from the air. "Those names are perfect, and so is your reason for choosing them." She said, watching as Samuel slowly opened his own eyes and looked up at his mother, then around the room at every face before focusing on Marcus. Seeing this the man immediately smiled wide and opened his mouth to speak, at which point the Samuel immediately began to cry. "W-What, wait! Don't cry!" He exclaimed as everyone in the room laughed and watched as he tried to calm the child, though his attempts were futile and Samuel's crying was only silenced after his mother handed Elei to Carina to hold and slowly rocked him to sleep.

Exhausted from the extensive and draining birth of her children it didn't take long for Tome to drift off to sleep, and slowly the group that had gathered to see her began to leave for the night until only Carina and Amaury remained, both of whom held one of the twins in their arms. At first Amaury had been hesitant to hold the children having not done so before, but in order to allow Emmett time to run home, shower and gather some stuff for both him and Tome he agreed. It didn't take too long for Amaury to get use to holding onto little Samuel however, and within a few minutes of the little boy staring up at him without dropping or making him cry he felt comfortable enough to sit back and relax. Seeing Samuel up close revealed the same innocent look as his father, causing Amaury to smile at the memory of his late friend. What was even more surprising was that even though they had just been born he could already sense the smallest trace of their existence in the air around them, suggesting to him that they were both Newtypes.

While Amaury thought about this, Carina's mind drifted elsewhere. Watching Amaury holding Samuel was heartwarming and filled her with a sense of longing for children of their own, especially seeing how he made sure to cradle the baby in such a way that it appeared as if he was protecting him from danger while from his mind came nothing but a calm, endless wave of positive thoughts that brought her to smile. Feeling Carina's eyes on him, Amaury turned to the girl who continued to stare at him with her content grin, causing him to tilt his head. "What?" He questioned softly as Carina's smile grew. "You are really good with him, babe. He likes you… unlike Marcus." She replied as Amaury laughed silently under his breath and looked back down at Sam. "I'm just as surprised as you are. Who would have thought that this would be something I was good at. It just feels… natural." He replied as Carina shook her head to contest his miniscule view of himself and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not surprised, I know you will be a great father one day." She replied as she looked up at him with a smile and kissed his cheek. "And you will be a wonderful, perfect mother." He replied, directing his attention back down to the two twins in their hands. They were some of the first children born in the New Republic and they were the future; a future he hoped would be bright and everlasting.

"This is the beginning of a new world. A world where anything is possible and where we will be free to do great things, and our children as well. I just hope that everything we have gone through, that our ancestors went through, was all enough to make sure that they never have to go through it as well." He said softly as Carina looked back up to him and smiled. "I hope so too. But, all I know is that whatever the future holds, we will get through it together." She replied, looking at the twins, Tome and then to the empty seats around them before adjusting herself against her husband so that they could both be comfortable.

Slowly Amaury leaned down and kissed her forehead before taking her hand in his and running his thumb over her wedding ring. In this moment everything seemed so peaceful, so perfect; if this was what the future held in store for them, that would be just fine.

"Together."


	51. Credits

Hello everyone!

I would just like to take this time to thank everyone who has read my fiction over the course of the last year. It has been a long journey, but it has been all of you who have driven me to frequently sit down and continue chugging along until the story's completion. Never in my life would I have thought that I would be inspired to create 50 individual chapters, but once I saw that people enjoyed the story, I was glad to do it.

I would also like to thank my good friends who inspired me to start this project in the first place, and a special segment of gratitude is needed for my friend Godly Diamond, who acted as my chief editor of sorts for the majority of Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeon Rising. Without his help this story would have been nowhere near as complete as it is now and I owe him greatly.

With that said, I have taken into effect the suggestions put forth by the community here, and over the course of the next few weeks I will be going back and editing the story to adjust for grammatical errors as well as the paragraphing issues mentioned by a few people.

In addition I will say that, future allowing, these character will return for more in a few separate upcoming projects, including more focused on the New Republic of Zeon and the currently expanding UC 0100's. I hope that these stories are warranted and that you will enjoy them as well.

A big thank you to you all; this was for you guys and gals.

The best regards,

Hound the Red


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